NORTHERN IRELAND

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 21 February 2001,  Official Report, columns 772-74W, on the Saville inquiry, whether the information provided on cash expenditure and main categories of expenditure included all the costs incurred by the Saville inquiry to the end of October 2006; and what expenditure in categories other than those listed in the answer has been incurred since October 2006.

Paul Goggins: The answer of 21 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 772-74, provided a breakdown of expenditure on the Bloody Sunday inquiry into six categories: legal fees; accommodation; transportation; provision of IT equipment; hiring of halls and other. The final category included all spend on the inquiry not falling into the first five categories. As such, there is no expenditure incurred by the inquiry since October 2006 that could not be included in categories listed in this answer.

Departmental ICT

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) memory sticks,  (b) laptop computers,  (c) desktop computers,  (d) hard drives and  (e) mobile telephones were (i) lost by and (ii) stolen from his Department in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: No memory sticks or desktop computers have been lost or stolen in the period 2001-08.
	Between 2001 and 2008 five laptops were stolen; one in 2001, one in 2006 and two in 2007. There were none lost in this period.
	One hard drive was reported stolen in 2001.
	Between 2001 and 2006 22 mobile phones were lost; seven in 2001, two in 2002, two in 2003, two in 2005, two in 2006, five in 2007 and two in 2008. In the same period six were reported stolen; one in 2001, three in 2004, one in 2005 and one in 2007.
	Figures prior to 2001 are not available.

Departmental Lost Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what  (a) equipment and  (b) data was lost by his Department in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The information is as follows:
	 (a) During the last 12 months two mobile phones have been lost by Northern Ireland Office staff.
	 (b) The Northern Ireland Office, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, did not report any personal data related incidents for the period 2007-08.
	This answer relates to the core Northern Ireland Office Department and its agencies only.

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Questions for written answer were tabled to his Department in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Shaun Woodward: Parliamentary questions for my Department are recorded by calendar year rather than by parliamentary Session.
	The total number of questions received per year are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of questions 
			 2002 1,729 
			 2003 2,908 
			 2004 4,137 
			 2005 4,476 
			 2006 5,046 
			 2007 1,896 
			 2008 (up to 11 November) 1,336 
		
	
	These figures cover questions tabled in both the House of Commons and House of Lords, including oral questions in the House of Commons. They exclude transferred or withdrawn questions.
	In order to determine what proportion of questions were answered substantively and which were not answered on the grounds of disproportionate cost would require a manual trawl of all 21,528 questions. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, as an illustration of the proportion of questions not answered on the grounds of disproportionate cost my officials have carried out a manual trawl for questions tabled in 2008. Of the 1,336 questions received, 23 received no substantive answer on the grounds of disproportionate cost. This represents 0.02 per cent. of the total.

Irish Language

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of his Department's employees are fluent in Irish.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office does not hold a record of the number of its employees who are fluent in Irish.

Recruitment: Religion

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people who are  (a) Catholic and  (b) Protestant were recruited by his Department in the last two years; and what percentage of the number of recruits this represented.

Paul Goggins: In compliance with the Fair Employment and Treatment (NT) Order 1998 monitoring regulations, all NIO staff working in Northern Ireland, both home civil servants and Northern Ireland civil servants, are monitored for community background. The Department also has a small number of staff working in London whose community background is not monitored.
	164 permanent staff were recruited to the NIO core Department in the last two years, of whom 73 (44.5 per cent.) were Protestant and 75 (45.7 per cent.) were Roman Catholic. Of the remaining 16, the community background of 15 (9.1 per cent.) could not be determined, while 1 (0.6 per cent.) was recruited in London.

Saville inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the Saville inquiry to report.

Shaun Woodward: Lord Saville wrote to me on 4 November 2008 stating that the tribunal now expects to deliver the completed report to me in autumn of next year.

OLYMPICS

Brazilian Grand Prix

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many people attended the Brazilian Grand Prix at the expense of her Office; what the purpose of the visit was in each case; and what estimate she has made of the costs incurred.

Tessa Jowell: This Government publish an annual list of all ministerial travel costing over £500. The list includes a breakdown of travel by all Ministers and the global figure for the cost of ministerial travel includes the cost of staff accompanying Ministers. Detail of travel taken in the current year will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many Questions for written answer were tabled to her in each Session since she was appointed; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Tessa Jowell: The number of written questions tabled (and transferred) to me as Minister for the Olympics is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006-07 82 
			 2007-08 293 
		
	
	Information obtained from the DCMS Parliamentary Questions Database.
	Information on how many written questions were answered substantively and not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However all of my answers are a matter of public record and can be found in the  Official Report.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many external consultants work for his Department.

Ann McKechin: As at 30 October 2008, the Scotland Office had one external consultant.

Departmental Lost Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what  (a) equipment and  (b) data was lost by his Department in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, did not report any personal data related incidents for the period 2007-08; or lost any equipment in the same period.

Hotels

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on hotel bills by his Department in 2007-08.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not separately record expenditure on overnight accommodation from other forms of subsistence such as meal allowances, day subsistence, incidental expenses and motor mileage.

Performance Appraisal

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their annual report in the latest reporting year for which figures are available.

Ann McKechin: All the staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice who hold the individual personnel records, including annual performance. Poor performance is dealt with by line management within the procedures prescribed by the parent Departments. The Office does not maintain a central record of the performance of staff.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Performance Appraisal

David Simpson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff in the House service did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their annual report in the latest reporting year for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: The total number of staff in the House of Commons service who did not receive an acceptable assessment grade in 2007-08 was 12 out of a total of 1,402 staff. These figures exclude staff within catering and retail services who do not receive an annual performance assessment.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many questions for written answer were tabled to the hon. Member representing the Church Commissioners in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners' records of questions are not ordered by parliamentary Session but in calendar years and they do not differentiate between questions for written and oral answer.
	However, I can tell the hon. Gentleman that the total numbers of questions I have answered for the Church Commissioners in each of the calendar years since 2002 are as follows:
	
		
			   Questions (oral and written) 
			 2002 82 
			 2003 54 
			 2004 57 
			 2005 56 
			 2006 71 
			 2007 69 
			 2008 to date 42 
		
	
	I believe that they have all been answered substantively and none, so far as I can recall, have not been answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Older Workers

Paul Burstow: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many people recruited by the Church Commissioners in 2007-08 were aged over  (a) 55 years and  (b) 60 years; and what percentage this represented of the number of new recruits in each case.

Stuart Bell: In 2007 the Commissioners recruited one person aged 60 (representing 12.5 per cent. of their new recruits in that year). They have not recruited anyone over 55, so far in 2008.

WALES

Departmental Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for which Government websites his Department is responsible; how many visitors each received in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost of maintaining each site was in that period.

Paul Murphy: My Department is responsible for two websites:
	www.walesoffice.gov.uk
	and
	www.swyddfa.cymru.gov.uk
	In the period July 2008-September 2008 they received 4,439 hits.
	The cost of running these sites for this period was £1,725.

Departmental NDPBs

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department; and what budget each has been set for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office sponsors no non-departmental bodies.

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Questions for written answer were tabled to his Department in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Paul Murphy: The information is as follows.
	
		
			   Questions  Percentage answered substantively 
			 2002-03 330 99.5 
			 2003-04 202 100 
			 2004-05 75 97 
			 2005-06 487 97.5 
			 2006-07 272 97 
			 2007-08 (to date) 378 98

EC Action

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials support him when he represents the interests of Wales at EU institutions.

Paul Murphy: I have not held any discussions at EU institutions since my re-appointment but plan to do so in the new year.
	The number of officials accompanying my will be kept to a minimum.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Casinos: Licensing

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1092W, on casinos: licensing, whether a casino which is not one of the 16 small and large casinos may be opened in an area outside one of the 53 permitted areas; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not permitted for a casino which is not one of the 16 new small and large casinos permitted under the Gambling Act 2005 to be opened in an area other than one of the 53 permitted areas.
	Casinos other than 2005 Act casinos are licensed under the Gaming Act 1968. The 1968 Act established the principle of permitted areas in order to prevent a proliferation in the number of small casinos.
	This remains a key objective of the Government's casino policy: we believe that limiting casinos licensed under the 1968 Act to the 53 permitted areas will continue to act as a deterrent to proliferation, as it is unlikely that operators will want to open more casinos in these limited geographical areas than the market there can naturally sustain.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Departmental website received in 2007-08.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Visitor figures for 2007-08 are provided as follows:
	unique visitors;
	total visitors;
	total page views.
	
		
			  DCMS website statistics 2007-08 
			   A pril 2007  May 2007  Jun e 2007  July 2007  August 2007  September 2007 
			  Agora   
			 Unique visitors 1,334 1,531 2,002 (1)— — — 
			 Total visitors 4,680 4,577 6,705 (1)— — — 
			 Total page views 12,585 11,903 11,894 (1)— — — 
			
			 BBC Charter Review   
			 Unique visitors 7,750 7,178 7,841 8,048 6,771 5,855 
			 Total visitors 43,271 41,938 68,466 86,421 50,164 41,413 
			 Total page views 75,500 35,083 35,641 38,914 30,368 33,521 
			
			  Communications Act   
			 Unique visitors 2,561 2,849 3,108 2,828 2,401 1,793 
			 Total visitors 7,495 7,582 10,129 9,196 7,496 5,579 
			 Total page views 14,395 13,542 13,995 17,473 14,058 49,767 
			
			  Culture   
			 Unique visitors 140,659 107,151 110,018 100,454 87,734 88,915 
			 Total visitors 438,709 428,143 536,314 587,309 441,640 331,014 
			 Total page views 4,524,875 2,970,995 2,355,172 2,460,635 1,850,388 1,820,461 
			
			  Digital TV   
			 Unique visitors 24,255 25,698 22,507 21,191 16,996 22,432 
			 Total visitors 44,447 46,461 47,199 39,797 29,596 34,529 
			 Total page views 105,335 100,819 88,851 79,844 57,707 69,050 
			
			  Government Art Collection   
			 Unique visitors 20,259 22,163 21,275 22,751 20,041 20,978 
			 Total visitors 64,439 64,452 79,241 97,443 66,262 56,091 
			 Total page views 201,087 171,534 193,881 254,621 178,070 170,379 
			
			  World Heritage   
			 Unique visitors 731 886 1,859 1,309 964 1,148 
			 Total visitors 1,378 1,652 3,177 2,322 1,910 2,136 
			 Total page views 9,251 9,957 12,452 13,854 10,136 10,856 
			
			  Where We Live   
			 Unique visitors 415 585 479 396 426 377 
			 Total visitors 732 1,100 1,091 894 864 780 
			 Total page views 8,031 8,751 8,465 11,745 8,974 8,855 
		
	
	
		
			   October 2007  November 2007  December 2007  January 2008  February 2008  March 2008 
			  Agora   
			 Unique visitors — — — — — — 
			 Total visitors — — — — — — 
			 Total page views — — — — — — 
			
			 BBC Charter Review   
			 Unique visitors 6,621 6,856 n/a 6,504 5,677 8,711 
			 Total visitors 33,622 30,836 n/a 28,311 21,686 34,798 
			 Total page views 34,245 33,274 n/a 34,826 34,474 36,743 
			
			  Communications Act   
			 Unique visitors (2)— — — — — — 
			 Total visitors (2)— — — — — — 
			 Total page views (2)— — — — — — 
			
			  Culture   
			 Unique visitors 104,309 92,602 70,554 91,028 90,897 94,808 
			 Total visitors 356,186 232,620 292,222 351,792 326,162 375,255 
			 Total page views 1,934,782 2,002,367 2,317,114 229,003 1,842,804 2,206,292 
			
			  Digital TV   
			 Unique visitors 22,551 28,852 25,205 23,576 14,542 16,035 
			 Total visitors 31,978 43,746 38,126 38,277 26,068 28,354 
			 Total page views 58,007 76,705 67,377 65,822 41,441 45,308 
			
			  Government Art Collection   
			 Unique visitors 24,238 24,943 21,294 n/a 22,776 31,275 
			 Total visitors 61,291 58,925 51,942 n/a 52,022 78,430 
			 Total page views 159,108 177,000 151,680 n/a 132,178 189,961 
			
			  World Heritage   
			 Unique visitors 1,947 2,911 1,012 1,391 893 1,004 
			 Total visitors 3,226 5,950 2,022 2,816 1,598 1,804 
			 Total page views 11,583 13,753 10,792 11,602 9,916 10,216 
			
			  Where We Live   
			 Unique visitors (2)— — — — — — 
			 Total visitors (2)— — — — — — 
			 Total page views (2)— — — — — — 
			 n/a = No figures available (1) Website closed July 2007 (2) Website closed October 2007

Departmental Recruitment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people recruited by his Department in 2007-08 were aged over  (a) 55 years and  (b) 60 years; and what percentage this represented of the number of new recruits in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As the values involved are less than five in DCMS standard statistical practice prevents us from releasing this information to protect individuals' identities.

Football: Debts

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward legislative proposals to  (a) regulate the debt of professional football clubs and  (b) regulate the ownership of professional football clubs, with particular reference to foreign ownership.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Neither the Secretary of State nor I are currently considering any legislation to regulate the debt or the ownership of professional football clubs.
	However, I understand that these issues are of concern to the public and I have therefore sought the views of the football authorities on these and other issues. I look forward to receiving their response.

Gambling: Regulation

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 805-06W, on gambling, what steps the Gambling Commission has taken in respect of those gambling operations which failed its mystery shopper tests; if he will place in the Library a list of those organisations which have failed the tests to date; how many such tests have been conducted to date; how many remote gambling operations have failed the tests; and in which jurisdictions those remote organisations are based.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A pilot mystery shopping exercise was undertaken in the summer of 2007 on remote sites operated by prospective licensees and others. The Commission also conducts an ongoing programme of mystery shopping visits to remote gambling websites as part of its wider compliance effort for licensed remote gambling operators. The Commission expects to conduct further testing of operators licensed in other jurisdictions but to date all of those tested since 1 September 2007 under the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005 are operators licensed in Great Britain.
	In instances where deficiencies are identified, the Commission engages in further testing and may require operators to respond to our compliance findings in writing or conduct formal compliance visits depending on the circumstances. All of the licensed operators identified as having questions over their procedures in the pilot study undertaken last summer were found to have effective measures in place in our more recent testing.
	The Commission has the power to impose a more serious regulatory sanction on any licensed operator in the remote gambling sector but has not yet had reason to do so.
	The Commission has advised me that by disclosing the names of websites visited it would compromise transparent communication between the regulator and regulated community, prejudicing the Commission's ability to investigate instances of non-compliance. In the light of this advice, it would not be appropriate to provide this information.

Gambling: Young People

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research the Gambling Commission has undertaken on age verification procedures in jurisdictions which have remote online gambling companies allowed to advertise in the UK.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Gambling Commission has not undertaken specific research relating to age verification procedures in jurisdictions permitted to advertise remote gambling in the United Kingdom. However, the Commission has provided advice to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on certain technical aspects in relation to applications received by the Department to be allowed to advertise gambling in the UK.

Lotteries

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to lay before the House the order increasing society lottery limits.

Barbara Follett: I shall very shortly be laying an order before the House to increase the proceeds limit for social lottery draws.

Museums and Galleries

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visits there were to national museums in each of the last 16 years.

Barbara Follett: The information requested is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Institution  1990-91  1991-92  1992-93  1993-94  1994-95  1995-96  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99 
			 British Museum 5,050,000 5,960,000 6,910,000 6,030,000 6,240,000 6,130,000 6,500,000 6,100,000 4,488,065 
			 Geffrye Museum 40,000 42,000 42,000 42,000 46,000 52,000 55,000 60,000 85,447 
			 Horniman Museum 120,000 145,000 184,000 204,000 186,000 163,000 222,000 220,000 210,599 
			 Imperial War Museum 1,210,000 1,080,000 1,150,000 1,190,000 1,270,000 1,310,000 1,300,000 1,350,000 1,374,103 
			 Museum of London 400,000 380,000 320,000 300,000 270,000 270,000 280,000 300,000 322,644 
			 Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester 330,000 330,000 340,000 310,000 280,000 260,000 340,000 230,000 322,977 
			 National Gallery 3,700,000 4,400,000 4,200,000 4,000,000 4,350,000 3,900,000 4,000,000 4,200,000 4,800,000 
			 National Maritime Museum 550,000 600,000 540,000 530,000 620,000 580,000 400,000 470,000 482,038 
			 National Museums Liverpool 1,290,000 1,200,000 1,190,000 1,360,000 1,360,000 1,230,000 790,000 630,000 700,000 
			 National Museum of Science and Industry 2,440,000 2,610,000 2,580,000 2,670,000 2,510,000 2,700,000 2,540,000 2,400,000 2,158,462 
			 National Portrait Gallery 600,000 600,000 560,000 790,000 930,000 820,000 890,000 950,000 994,491 
			 Natural History Museum 1,600,000 1,480,000 1,730,000 1,740,000 1,640,000 1,460,000 1,800,000 1,820,000 1,794,870 
			 Royal Armouries(1) — — — — — — 394,000 349,000 335,000 
			 Sir John Soane's Museum 60,000 53,000 50,000 52,000 58,000 76,000 84,000 92,000 84,998 
			 Tate Gallery 2,170,000 2,500,000 2,200,000 2,700,000 2,800,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,200,000 3,033,527 
			 Tyne and Wear Museums Service — — — — — 930,000 1,050,000 1,170,000 1,154,981 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 1,270,000 1,400,000 1,450,000 1,580,000 1,600,000 1,530,000 1,590,000 1,450,000 1,438,200 
			 Wallace Collection 130,000 170,000 200,000 150,000 150,000 160,000 180,000 180,000 189,499 
			 Total 20,960,000 22,950,000 23,646,000 23,648,000 24,310,000 24,571,000 24,915,000 24,171,000 23,969,901 
		
	
	
		
			  Institution  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 British Museum 4,368,430 4,589,000 4,813,119 4,623,500 4,622,169 4,778,200 4,485,482 4,902,259 6,049,000 
			 Geffrye Museum 104,049 85,676 82,639 81,194 86,529 79,959 79,408 76,907 80,352 
			 Horniman Museum 186,377 116,286 130,581 250,387 272,220 303,428 282,856 429,866 477,894 
			 Imperial War Museum 1,372,000 1,609,000 1,607,929 1,980,000 1,966,000 2,056,446 1,906,510 1,956,069 1,999,331 
			 Museum of London 338,295 370,664 311,900 362,685 381,528 556,545 481,866 471,786 418,052 
			 Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester 301,245 287,814 389,582 434,055 381,932 481,039 411,547 408,469 819,104 
			 National Gallery 5,000,000 4,780,000 4,859,000 4,100,000 4,648,000 4,909,000 3,953,000 4,734,000 3,912,000 
			 National Maritime Museum 874,434 799,777 1,004,604 1,208,000 1,365,264 1,532,690 1,512,191 1,633,592 1,782,405 
			 National Museums Liverpool 791,355 710,210 823,000 1,240,000 1,525,520 1,537,590 1,608,133 1,694,065 2,167,626 
			 National Museum of Science and Industry 2,831,087 2,822,486 3,061,148 4,260,468 4,270,255 3,815,850 3,576,679 4,373,176 4,492,767 
			 National Portrait Gallery 996,712 1,219,167 1,479,179 1,319,527 1,425,655 1,468,875 1,528,628 1,664,894 1,645,680 
			 Natural History Museum 1,761,000 1,691,738 2,196,416 2,893,337 3,143,935 3,328,478 3,281,810 3,892,878 3,779,420 
			 Royal Armouries(1) 218,000 235,000 337,626 398,000 380,000 432,755 394,720 376,269 443,202 
			 Sir John Soane's Museum 96,823 83,827 86,548 86,461 94,054 87,165 84,624 92,141 93,301 
			 Tate Gallery 2,482,522 6,733,691 5,528,219 6,332,787 6,214,869 6,293,000 6,412,000 7,708,000 7,711,283 
			 Tyne and Wear Museums Service 1,056,194 1,166,123 1,450,312 1,277,739 1,341,710 1,673,907 1,568,901 1,493,156 1,501,767 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 1,217,000 1,342,000 1,862,500 2,532,500 2,689,500 2,471,600 2,195,500 2,874,700 2,623,100 
			 Wallace Collection 171,867 255,993 228,991 233,918 236,255 288,009 219,214 277,648 346,980 
			 Total 24,167,390 28,898,452 30,253,293 33,614,558 35,045,395 36,094,536 33,983,069 39,059,875 40,343,264 
			 (1) Royal Armouries in Leeds opened in March 1996.

Museums and Galleries

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the daily average number of domestic visitors to each  (a) museum and  (b) art gallery in London in receipt of Government funding was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Daily average number of domestic visits to DCMS funded museums in London, in 2007-08 
			  Museum  Average daily domestic visits 
			 British Museum 6,396 
			 Geffrye Museum 220 
			 Horniman Museum 1,270 
			 Imperial War Museum 3,652 
			 National Maritime Museum 2,281 
			 Science Museum London 4,430 
			 Natural History Museum 6,162 
			 Sir John Soane's Museum 192 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green 849 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington 3,804 
			 Wallace Collection 513 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Daily average number of domestic visits to DCMS funded art galleries in London, in 2007-08 
			  Gallery  Average daily domestic visits 
			 National Gallery 5,863 
			 National Portrait Gallery 2,955 
			 Tate 12,307 
		
	
	These figures were derived from dividing the total number of domestic visits to each of the museums and galleries in 2007-08 by 365.
	The figures for the Imperial War Museum, Natural History Museum and the Tate include domestic visits to branches outside of London. We do not collect information on domestic visits by branch.

Official Visits: Sports

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from his Department attended the Brazilian Grand Prix in an official capacity; what the purpose of the visit was in each case; and what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This Government publish an annual list of all ministerial travel costing over £500. The list includes a breakdown of travel by all Ministers and the global figure for the cost of ministerial travel includes the cost of staff accompanying Ministers. Detail of travel taken in the current year will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Sports: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding sports national governing bodies  (a) have received in the current funding cycle and  (b) will receive in the next funding cycle.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The table details funding provided from the Exchequer and Lottery to sport national governing bodies, allocated by Sport England and UK Sport, in the current funding cycle 2005-09.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 UK Sport 266.9 
			 Sport England 317.5 
			 Total 584.4 
		
	
	It should be noted that the figures for Sport England do not include funding provided from the Community Investment Fund as to ascertain this would result in disproportionate cost.
	 (b) UK Sport and Sport England have not yet made final decisions on allocations to Sport National Governing Bodies for the next funding cycle (2009-13). This will be considered by their respective boards in December 2008.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Racial Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many complaints of racial abuse relating to staff for which her Office is responsible have been  (a) investigated and  (b) upheld in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: There have been no such complaints since the Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007.

JUSTICE

Community Legal Advice: Marketing

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2008,  Official Report, column 621W, on community legal advice: marketing, on what basis the 104 hon. Members who did not request a leaflet stand were selected to receive one; for what reason stands were sent to no more than 151 hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The agreed practice for distribution of Community Legal Advice (CLA) marketing materials and stands is to advise organisations of their availability and provide them with details for ordering any materials. An introductory letter is sent and only those requesting stands are provided with the leaflets and stands.
	However, the Birmingham regional office recently sent out around 100 stands in error to MPs in the west and east midlands who had not requested them, together with a letter of introduction but without the standard offer letter preceding any delivery of stands. All other Legal Services Commission regional offices and the central CLA team have only sent out stands as requested.
	In order to ensure consistency the Legal Services Commission CLA team will remind relevant staff of the agreed practice for distribution of marketing materials. CLA will also issue guidance that the central CLA marketing team should be alerted to any major promotional activities to ensure all major activities meet strategic and operational guidelines.

Counterfeit Manufacturing: Internet

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted in the UK for the sale of illegal or counterfeit goods over the internet in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Criminal offences involving sales of goods over the internet cannot be separately identified from other offences concerning sales of goods, as the particulars surrounding a case are not held centrally.

Courts: Video Conferencing

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made for the potential use of virtual courts; and what representations he has received on this matter.

Bridget Prentice: The Police and Justice Act 2006 made provision for the use of virtual courts. A 12-week prototype of the concept started in July 2007, and was hosted by Camberwell Green magistrates court. An evaluation report of the prototype showed that it had been a success, enabling first hearings to take place in an average time of three-and-a-half hours.
	A larger scale one year pilot has now been agreed to take place in parts of London and North Kent. This pilot will commence early in 2009. The pilot will fully test the costs and benefits of virtual courts and allow representations at a local and national level to inform decisions on wider roll out.

Departmental Buildings

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 167-68W, on departmental buildings, what the cost of each refurbishment was.

Jack Straw: The information requested is shown as follows.
	Costs stated are for refurbishment works to the fabric and structure of the building and do not include items such as furniture. All costs exclude VAT except where indicated. The provision of a more detailed breakdown of the total figures for each property would incur a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice HQ 
			   Location  Net internal area (m2)  Refurbishments costs (£) 
			 2006 102 Petty France, London  SW1H 9AJ 34868 131,000,000 
			 2007 Part 2(nd) Floor, Carlton Tower,  34 St. Pauls Street Leeds 117.06 72,000 
		
	
	
		
			  NOMS (non-custodial) 
			   Location  Net internal area (m2)  Refurbishments costs (£) 
			 2008 Argyle House, Argyle Way, Stevenage  SG1 2AP 1,165.34 2,004,061 
			 2006 4 Mitre Buildings, West Square, Harlow  CM20 1DR 856 766,355 
		
	
	
		
			  NOMS ( custodial) 
			   Location  Net internal area (m2)  Refurbishments costs (£) 
			 None None 0 n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  HMCS Estates 
			   Location  Net internal area (m2)  Refurbishments costs (£) 
			 2008 Regional Office, Greyfriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol  BS1 2NR 561 218,000 
			 2007 Regional Office, Lynx House, Pynes Hill, Rydon Lane, Exeter  EX2 5JL 316 11,000 
			 2007 London and South East Regional Office, Rose Court, Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HS 2038 900,000 
			 2007 Wales Regional Office, Churchill House, Churchill Way, Cardiff CF10 2HH 570 388,000 
			 2007 Kent Area Directors Office, Gail House,  5 Lower Stone Street, Maidstone ME15 6NB 998 602,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Tribunal Service 
			   Location  Net internal area (m2)  Refurbishments costs (£) 
			 2008 Hagley Road, Birmingham 3052 656,500 
			 2007 Leicester Arnhem House (5(th) Floor), Leicester 750 148,250 
		
	
	
		
			  Legal Services Commission 
			   Location  Net internal area (m2)  Refurbishments costs (£) 
			 2007 Floors 11, 12 and 13 Building 2, Exchange Tower, Harbour Exchange, London EC15 3363.101 (1)159,098 
			 2007 Viking B8, Jarrow, Newcastle 6720.35 (1)1,489,000 
			 (1) Including VAT.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of employees in his Department  (a) are on a flexible working contract,  (b) are on a job share employment contract and  (c ) work from home for more than four hours per week.

Jack Straw: Within the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) there are a number of flexible working opportunities. These include: working part-time, compressed hours, and part-year working, such as during school term times.
	Centrally held information shows that 13 per cent. of Ministry of Justice staff work part-time as of September 2008.
	Staff who are on other flexible working patterns and who are on a job share employment contract are not held centrally and could be provided only by contacting each local area within MoJ at a disproportionate cost.
	Within the Prison Service arrangements for working from home are administered locally and data are not held centrally. The Former DCA records show 20 members of staff worked from home full-time, but any other arrangements are held locally only. The NOMS agency does not record staff who work from home. Figures on staff who work from home are available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Information Officers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent press officers  (a) work for and  (b) provide assistance for his Department.

Michael Wills: As at April 2008, there were 31 full-time equivalent press officers working for the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice is also occasionally supported by COI News which provides regional press support on an issue or case-by-case basis. However, because of the nature of this support it is not possible to quantify it as an equivalent to full-time press officers without incurring disproportionate costs.

Departmental Official Residences

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what permanent residential accommodation is provided for use by civil servants in his Department; how many residential dwellings are provided; where they are located; and for what grade of civil servant they are provided.

Shahid Malik: Her Majesty's Courts Service has a total of 19 residential properties across London and regional areas of England and Wales and of these, 14 are occupied by managers of judges lodgings. All residents of these properties are a Grade EO apart from one that is a Grade HEO. The remaining five properties, mainly located within Greater London, are allocated to a Regional Fire and Safety Manager at Band C, Court Keepers at Band D, and a Custodian/Keeper at Band F.
	Her Majesty's Prison Service has 360 residential properties across 36 regional towns and cities in England and Wales with the largest number of properties (195) in London. Prison officers occupy 280 properties and chaplains and agricultural workers occupy a further 69. The remaining 11 properties accommodate industrial workers, store men, admin staff, former staff and staff widows.
	The rest of Ministry of Justice has no residential property.

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department and its agencies are members of the  (a) Classic,  (b) Classic Plus,  (c) Nuvos and  (d) Premium civil service pension schemes.

Michael Wills: Information on staff pensions in the Ministry of Justice as at September 2008 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of staff in scheme  Proportion of staff in each scheme (percentage) 
			  (a) Classic 39,735 49 
			  (b) +  (d) Classic Plus + Premium Civil Service Pension Scheme 29,673 36 
			  (c) Nuvos 6,778 8 
		
	
	The figures provided do not include employees who have elected to join a Partnership pension scheme or have opted out of the pension. Therefore the figures provided do not total 100 per cent. of employees currently in the Department.
	It is not possible to differentiate between those employees in the Premium pension scheme and those in the Classic + pension scheme. They are not recorded separately on the pension records held by the Department's payroll provider and would be available only at disproportionate cost, if at all.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what reductions in expenditure his Department plans to make by April 2011; and what assessment he has made of their likely effects;
	(2)  what recent decisions have been taken on reducing his Department's future expenditure; and if he make a statement.

Jack Straw: The MoJ settlement received in the last Comprehensive Spending Review meant that the MoJ would have to absorb cost of living increases and other upward pressures equivalent to approximately £1 billion over the three-year period. We have plans for year 1 and plans are being developed for years 2 and 3 taking us up to March 2011. The details are being worked on, but will focus on reducing overheads, removing duplication and increasing efficiencies. We will prioritise front line services we provide to the public to make communities safer, provide access to justice and cut re-offending—without jeopardising performance throughout the MoJ. We will continue the transformation of the services we provide so that they are more open, visible and transparent to the people they service.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the presentation given in his Department on 28 September 2008 on the Department's budgetary position and the options for dealing with its budgetary shortfall.

Jack Straw: No. The presentation was a piece of draft analysis presented by the MoJ Corporate Management Board to Ministers for internal planning purposes. The MoJ Permanent Secretary has undertaken to write to Select Committee in December with more details of our planned savings package following a period of due diligence.

Electronic Voting

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what lessons his Department has learned from pilots of e-counting; and what steps he has taken to ensure that such lessons are taken into account in any future pilots.

Michael Wills: The purpose of pilots is to investigate the issues surrounding the use of various potential innovations in electoral administration and gain learning that will inform development of policy and possible future e-counting solutions. One of the aims of the e-counting pilots that took place in May 2007, for example, was to investigate whether commercially available scanning machines could successfully be used in an e-counting solution. The pilots demonstrated that it is possible to use commercially available scanning machines, and this should lead to lower costs.
	All electoral pilots are evaluated by the Electoral Commission, which makes recommendations regarding the future operation of particular innovations. These evaluations usually encapsulate the key lessons and recommendations from each pilot. The Government take these into account alongside lessons learned during development and implementation of the pilots themselves and, where relevant, the experience of e-counting elsewhere in the UK and overseas.

Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost for providing a place in  (a) Feltham A for 15 to 17-year-olds and  (b) Feltham B for 18 to 21 year olds is in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The average annual cost for providing a place in Feltham A for 15 to 17-year-olds is £43,360 and Feltham B for 18 to 21-year-olds is £42,050. The cost includes direct prison costs only and excludes overhead costs.

Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many sales orders in respect of residential property were made in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many charging orders over residential properties were issued in each year since 1997.

Bridget Prentice: The table shows the numbers of applications for charging orders, and the number of charging orders made, in the county courts of England and Wales in each year since 1997. These figures cover charging orders against all types of property, not just residential property. Figures relating solely to orders against residential property are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Similarly, figures on the number of orders for sale are not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  N umber of applications for charging orders and charging orders made in England and Wales 1997-2007 
			   Applications  Orders made 
			 1997 14,161 11,422 
			 1998 13,758 10,652 
			 1999 13,600 9,749 
			 2000 16,014 9,689 
			 2001 21,870 15,487 
			 2002 30,781 21,408 
			 2003 35,052 25,217 
			 2004 45,516 33,235 
			 2005 65,780 49,218 
			 2006 92,933 67,090 
			 2007 131,637 97,026 
			  Source: HMCS CaseMan system (2000-07) and manual returns (19,97-99)

Members: Correspondence

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire's letter of 1 August on the length of time taken to respond to a freedom of information request regarding Titan prisons for Wychavon District Council made on 25 April 2008.

David Hanson: I replied to the hon. Member on 6 October.

Penalty Notices

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether primary legislation will be required to amend the sentencing guidelines for penalty notices for disorder.

Jack Straw: The independent Sentencing Guidelines Council has not produced a sentencing guideline for penalty notices for disorder as these disposals are issued by the police and other designated persons and not by the courts.

Penalty Notices: Shoplifting

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of issuing penalty notices for disorder in preventing shoplifters from re-offending.

Maria Eagle: No assessment has been made. A study of criminal histories and re-offending rates of PND recipients is under way and will be published in due course.
	The aim of the PND Scheme is to provide the police with a swift financial punishment to deal with misbehaviour, including minor shoplifting, and a practical deterrent to future re-offending.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to change the regulated limit for local candidate spending during election periods for  (a) local elections,  (b) devolved institution elections and  (c) European Parliamentary elections; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I have no such plans.

Prisoners: Suicide

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) suicides and  (b) self-harm incidents there have been in (i) HM prisons and (ii) young offender institutions in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The numbers of suicides and self-harm incidents since 1998 are contained in the following table.
	The National Offender Management Service has a broad, integrated and evidence-based prisoner suicide prevention strategy that seeks to reduce the distress of all those in prison. This encompasses a wide spectrum of Prison and Department of Health work around such issues as mental health, substance misuse and resettlement. Any prisoner identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm is cared for using the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) procedures. ACCT is the prisoner-centred flexible care-planning system introduced across the prisons estate in partnership with the Department of Health during 2005-07 to replace the old F2052SH system.
	Any death in custody is a tragic event. The Government are committed to learning from such events and reducing the number of self-inflicted deaths in state custody. We are implementing many of the recommendations of Robert Fulton's Review of the Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody. From April 2009, a new three tier Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody will replace the existing forum and the Ministerial Roundtable on Suicide.
	
		
			   All prisons  Young offender institutions( 1) 
			   Self-inflicted deaths  Self-harm incidents  Self-inflicted deaths  Self-harm incidents 
			 1998 83 n/a 7 n/a 
			 1999 91 n/a 11 n/a 
			 2000 81 n/a 9 n/a 
			 2001 73 n/a 7 n/a 
			 2002 95 n/a 6 n/a 
			 2003(2) 94 11,833 2 1,467 
			 2004 95 12,555 4 1,791 
			 2005 78 14,405 9 1,955 
			 2006 67 15,052 1 2,206 
			 2007 92 15,229 4 2,050 
			 (1) Due to the mixed roll (adult and young offender) of some prisons and re-rolling over the years there is more than one way to present figures for young offender institutions therefore caution needs to be taken when interpreting them.  (2) A new system for monitoring self-harm was introduced in December 2002, and as a result, recording of self-harm improved through 2003. Self-harm figures for 2003 and earlier are not comparable with later years.

Sentencing

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the reasons are for the time taken to respond to the consultation on sentencing guidelines;
	(2)  what plans he has to revise guidelines on the co-ordination of evidence emanating from police, local government authorities, the probation services and others, which demonstrates a particular pattern of behaviour for the purposes of sentencing in the event of a conviction for retail theft;
	(3)  if he will undertake a regular review of the sentencing guidelines for shop theft conviction.

Jack Straw: The independent Sentencing Guidelines Council is responsible for producing, publishing and reviewing definitive guidelines on sentencing for criminal offences. I understand that the definitive guideline dealing with retail theft will issue soon.

Shoplifting: Compensation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in how many cases court disposals have required full recompense to be made to the victims of retail theft in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: The available information is contained in the following table, which shows the number of compensation or restitution orders that have been imposed for shoplifting by criminal courts.
	The information supplied is for the last three years for which data are available. 2007 data will be available in late November.
	
		
			  Offenders ordered to pay compensation or restitution orders as criminal court disposals for retail theft( 1) , 2004-06 
			   Number 
			 2004 7,421 
			 2005 7,356 
			 2006 7,219 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) These figures refer only to actions taken in criminal courts.   Note:  These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.   Source:  OMS Analytical Services.

Young Offender Institutions: Per Capita Costs

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost of providing a place in  (a) a young offender institution for 18 to 21 year olds,  (b) a young offender institution for 15 to 17 year olds and (c) a secure training centre for under 15 year olds was in the latest year for which figures are available. [Official Report, 9 September 2009, Vol. 496, c. 15MC.]

David Hanson: The average cost per annum of a place at a young offender institution (YOI) for 2007-08, as provided by the National Offender Management Service, was £32,799. There are a number of 'split site' young offender institutions which accommodate both 15 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 20-year-olds; and it is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to split the overall costs between the two age groups.
	The average cost a year of a place at a secure training centre (STC) for 2007-08, as provided by the Youth Justice Board (YJB), was £191,618. The age range for the young people in STCs is 12 to 17 years.
	In comparing the two figures, account will need to be taken of variations in the methods of calculation. In particular, the YJB figure includes health care and education, whereas the YOI figure excludes those elements.

Young Offenders: Education

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what percentage of young offenders aged  (a) under 16 years and  (b) between 16 and 18 years returned to full or part-time education on release from custody in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many young offenders aged between 18 and 21 were released from custodial sentences in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what percentage went into full or part-time employment on release.

David Hanson: Data that specifically identify the percentage of young offenders released to full-time or part-time education in the specified age groups are not available. However, the following figures show the percentage of young offenders released from custody into full or part time education or training from young offender institutions (YOIs) in the 12 month period from October 2007 to September 2008:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 YOI establishments holding 15 to 17-year-olds 53 
			 YOI establishments holding 18 to 21-year-olds 15 
			 YOI establishments holding both 15 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 21-year-olds 26 
		
	
	Data for young offenders released from secure training centres (STC) and secure children's homes (SCH) are not available. However, data are available for young offenders released from STCs, SCHs and YOIs and at the end of the community element of their custodial sentence. During the 12 months period (July 2007-June 2008) 64.4 per cent. of young people of statutory school age were in full time education or training (for 25 hours and more). Of those above school age 64.5 per cent. were in suitable employment, training or education.
	The number of young offenders aged between 18 and 21 who were released from custodial sentences and the percentage that entered employment in the 12 months period from October 2007 to September 2008(1) is shown in the following table.
	Data of this nature are only available by entire establishment type, therefore some data relating to 18 to 21-year-olds are also included within those establishments that also hold 15 to 21-year-olds and it is not possible to separate out specific age ranges.
	
		
			  Establishment type  Number of offenders discharged( 2)  Percentage of offenders entering into employment 
			 YOI establishments holding 18 to 21-year-olds 5,903 26 
			 YOI establishments holding both 15 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 21-year-olds 4,240 19 
			 (1 )Data are provisional and subject to ongoing validation. (2) Exclude temporary releases or prisoners that are deported upon release.

Young Offenders: Education

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much time per week young offenders aged  (a) under 15 years old,  (b) between 15 and 17 years old and  (c) between 18 and 21 years old spent on (i) education and training and (ii) sporting activities.

David Hanson: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answers on 5 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 629-30W. Data of this nature are only available by establishment type. The average number of hours spent on education or training activities and physical education and recreational sports per prisoner per week for each young offender institution (YOI) during the period April to September 2008 (latest figures available(1)) is shown in the table. It is not possible to breakdown the figures to the two age bands at tables 1 and 2 for the split sites (see table 3).
	Secure training centres (STCs) have structures in place to provide each young person with the opportunity to receive a minimum of 25 hours a week of taught lesson time or vocational training. Providers do all that they reasonably can to ensure that young people take up the opportunity. In addition to taught education young people in STCs receive an hours a day of offending behaviour programmes and a range of training in social and domestic skills.
	For secure children's homes (SCHs) the requirement is that they meet the Youth Justice Board's National Specification for Learning and Skills. This requires that young people are given the opportunity to receive 30 hours of timetabled activities based around a curriculum encompassing taught education, vocational work or offending behaviour work. In addition there is an expectation that young people engage in an hour a day of private study and 12 hours a week of activities such as hobbies or clubs.
	Young people engage in sporting activities in STCs and SCHs as part of the school curriculum, as part of activities outside of the school day and as part of social activities. The levels of sporting activities engaged in by each young person are not recorded and collated so it is not possible to provide an average level of sporting activity.
	(1) Data are provisional and subject to ongoing validation.
	
		
			  Table 1: NOMS establishments holding 15 to 17-year-olds 
			  Establishment  Average number of hours spent on education or training activities per prisoner per week  Average number of hours spent on sport or other physical activity per prisoner per week 
			 Ashfield 15.4 8.2 
			 Cookham Wood 14.1 7.7 
			 Huntercombe 12.2 4.5 
			 Warren Hill 17 2.6 
			 Werrington 19.8 4.1 
			 Wetherby 12.2 4.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: NOMS establishments holding 18 to 21-year-olds 
			  Establishment  Average number of hours spent on education or training activities per prisoner per week  Average number of hours spent on sport or other physical activity per prisoner per week 
			 Aylesbury 6.1 3.5 
			 Deerbolt 7.9 4.7 
			 Glen Parva 5.3 2.8 
			 Northallerton 9.8 3.1 
			 Portland 5.9 2 
			 Reading 4.9 3.7 
			 Rochester 3.6 3 
			 Swinfen Hall 8.2 3.1 
			 Thorn Cross 11.5 7.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: NOMS establishments holding both 15 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 21-year-olds 
			  Establishment  Average number of hours spent on education or training activities per prisoner per week  Average number of hours spent on sport or other physical activity per prisoner per week 
			 Brinsford 9.6 2.5 
			 Castington 10 2.6 
			 Feltham 7.5 3.1 
			 Hindley 12.2 4.2 
			 Lancaster Farms 9.7 2.2 
			 Stoke Heath 6.8 3.9

TRANSPORT

Airwave Service

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what organisations for which his Department is responsible  (a) use and  (b) are planning to use Airwave handsets. [Official Report, 28 January 2009, Vol. 487, c. 1MC.]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport itself uses Airwave handsets. The following of the Department's executive agencies and sponsored non-departmental bodies are also users of Airwave handsets:
	Highways Agency
	Marine and Coastguard Agency
	British Transport Police.
	The following two executive agencies have been made 'approved sharers' of Airwave by Ofcom, the radio spectrum regulator, but do not currently use Airwave handsets:
	Government Car and Despatch Agency
	Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

Aviation: Oxygen

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 240W, on aircraft: oxygen, what consideration his Department gave to including in the Code of Practice on Access to Air Travel for Disabled Persons and Persons with Reduced Mobility a provision that air carriers should carry portable oxygen cylinders free of charge as medical equipment.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This matter was discussed by the working group which drafted the code of practice. As there is no specific obligation in the European regulation about the provision of oxygen, it was not considered appropriate to make a specific recommendation in the code about carriage of oxygen cylinders. Instead, the code reflects current guidance and practice in this area, in particular with regard to security considerations.
	The code of practice makes clear that it cannot be an authoritative statement of the law since any question over the interpretation of the European law is ultimately a matter for the courts. The Department for Transport has, however, raised this matter with the European Commission in the context of other issues where interpretation of the Regulation is unclear and has led to practical difficulties or differences in practice among airlines.

Bus Services: Concessions

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pensioners in Enfield North constituency have received a free bus pass since April 2008.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so does not maintain records of how many applications individual authorities have received.
	Enfield North is part of Greater London. Concessionary travel in London is administered by London Councils on behalf of the metropolitan boroughs. The last information held by the Department was that as of April this year, London had issued approximately 800,000 passes eligible for the statutory concession.

Bus Services: Concessions

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many pensioners have claimed free bus travel  (a) in Crosby constituency and  (b) England in each year since the inception of the scheme;
	(2)  how many disabled people have claimed free bus travel in  (a) Crosby constituency and  (b) England in each year since the inception of the entitlement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so does not maintain records of how many passes individual authorities have issued.
	Crosby is part of Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, Merseytravel. The latest figures held by the Department is that as of June 2008 Merseytravel had issued approximately 272,000 concessionary passes to both elderly and eligible disabled people.
	As of October 2008, approximately 7.2 million ITSO concessionary smartcard passes have been issued in England and approximately 900,000 London Freedom Passes have been re-stickered for national use.
	We cannot currently break down the figure by disabled and elderly passes, but reports are being set up to allow us to do so in the future.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reverse the recent increases in toll charges on the Dartford river crossing.

Paul Clark: Over the weekend of 15 and 16 November we introduced a number of changes to the charging regime at the Dartford Crossing, an increase in daytime charges, the removal of night time charges when traffic is lighter and discount schemes for immediate residents in the vicinity of the crossing in Kent and Essex. The charges exist to address serious congestion pressures at the crossing, and the new arrangements we are introducing follow two consultation exercises. There are no plans to reverse the increases.

Departmental Buildings

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 198-99W, on departmental buildings, what the cost of each refurbishment was.

Geoff Hoon: The requested information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Property  Cost of refurbishment  (£ million) 
			 Driving Standards Agency HQ, Nottingham 2.673 
			 Highways Agency, Lateral, Leeds 2.412 
		
	
	Information on the cost of refurbishments undertaken by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency cannot be provided for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of employees in his Department are  (a) on a flexible working contract,  (b) on a job share employment contract and  (c) work from home for more than four hours a week.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport does not record this information centrally.
	Staff may arrange such conditions with line manager agreement and subject to business needs.
	Further information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) memory sticks,  (b) laptop computers,  (c) desktop computers,  (d) hard drives and  (e) mobile telephones were (i) lost by and (ii) stolen from his Department in each year since its inception.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport was formed in 2002 and now includes seven agencies, a shared service centre and the central Department, with a total staff of over 19,000. The figures provided here for lost and stolen devices are for the entire Department including its agencies and shared service centre where that information is available. The figures provided do not include losses or thefts where records are not available, where equipment has not been procured centrally, or where such losses or thefts were not reported. The figures are as follows:
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Memory sticks lost — — 4 0 0 3 2 
			 Memory sticks stolen — — 0 0 3 1 1 
			 Laptops lost 0 0 1 4 4 6 6 
			 Laptops stolen 7 13 23 14 9 24 15 
			 Desktops lost — 1 0 0 1 0 3 
			 Desktops stolen — 20 2 3 1 0 7 
			 Hard drives lost 0 1 1 1 0 4 1 
			 Hard drives stolen 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Mobile phones lost 1 9 13 6 13 15 12 
			 Mobile phones stolen 2 20 24 22 15 5 3

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisations provided media monitoring services to  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three years; and what the cost of each contract was.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport commissions the production of press cuttings of national, regional and specialist media coverage of transport issues, and these services form the majority of media monitoring costs. The following table lists organisations that provided media monitoring services to the Department in each of the last three financial years and the cost.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  DfT(C)
			 COI Media Monitoring Unit 53.0 60.2 68.7 
			 EDS Media 243.1 252.8 267.3 
			 
			  DSA
			 TNS Media Intelligence 12.0 0 0 
			 EDS Media 5.0 18.0 20.0 
			 
			  DVLA
			 International Press Cutting Bureau 1.4 1.4 1.4 
			 
			  GCDA 0 0 0 
			 
			  HA
			 TNS Media Intelligence 16.8 8.8 11.0 
			 EDS Media 31.3 58.9 73.4 
			 Meltwater News Ltd. 0 0 5.9 
			 
			  MCA
			 TNS Media Intelligence 60.7 94.8 96.4 
			 PA News 4.7 5.2 5.4 
			 Meltwater News Ltd. 0 0 4.1 
			 
			  VCA
			 Meltwater News Ltd. 0 0 3.0 
			 
			  VOSA 0 0 0 
		
	
	Details for NDPBs can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for which Government websites his Department is responsible; how many visitors each received in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost of maintaining each site was in that period.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport maintains 66 public-facing websites, including those run by the Executive agencies.
	Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House showing unique visitor numbers and maintenance costs for the Department for Transport websites.
	Unique visitor data are not provided for all sites as the statistical software used on those sites do not produce this level of detail, only providing page requests rather than unique visitor data.
	Where annual maintenance costs are not available this is due to a number of reasons; either the site has only recently been available and maintenance costs are only applicable for the current financial year; the costs are part of a much larger contract and cannot be itemised; or the costs cannot be calculated without incurring disproportionate costs. Costs provided do not include staff costs.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many page hits from how many visitors his Department's website received in 2007-08.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport website:
	www.dft.gov.uk
	received 30,913,738 page hits from 3,571,614 visitors in 2007-08.

Departmental Temporary Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the methods by which all contractors, consultants and staff from employment agencies working in DfT Human Resources and DfT(C) Human Resources were hired.

Geoff Hoon: Human Resources in the Department for Transport and in its Agencies use framework arrangements for the hire of agency staff. Consultants and contractors are generally hired through competitive tender using pre-negotiated frameworks.

Dial-a-Ride

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much  (a) capital investment and  (b) revenue funding has been spent on Dial-a-Ride in London in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The funding of Dial-a-Ride services in London is a matter for the Mayor of London and Transport for London.

Driving: Licensing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will commission research into the accuracy of information provided by drivers in each age group to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in relation to self-certification for fitness to hold a driving licence;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the accuracy of information provided by drivers on their  (a) health and  (b) eyesight when self-certifying their suitability to hold a driving licence; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what representations he has received from coroners on the procedures for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to obtain information on driving licence holders who have medical conditions which should disqualify them from driving; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Individual drivers have a duty to ensure they are fit to drive before doing so. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), in conjunction with the Department for Transport, is reviewing the formal systems and procedures in place in Great Britain for ensuring that those who hold a driving licence are fit to do so. The issue of the accuracy of self-certification forms part of that review.
	A formal record is not kept of individual representations. However, the issue has been raised by a range of stakeholders and those views have fed into the review. In addition, the Department has received one report from a coroner in relation to the procedures for DVLA to obtain information on driving licence holders who have a medical condition which would disqualify them from driving.

Ferries: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what obligation Wightlink is under to provide ferry services at  (a) Yarmouth and  (b) Lymington;
	(2)  what consultation process  (a) has been and  (b) will be undertaken with residents of the Isle of Wight on the introduction of new W class ferries on the Yarmouth to Lymington service, with particular reference to the (a) economic well-being and (b) social needs of those residents;
	(3)  if he will make an assessment of the contribution of the Yarmouth to Lymington ferry service to the  (a) residents and  (b) economy of the Isle of Wight, with particular reference to the West Wight; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what restrictions are in place regarding the operation of the Yarmouth to Lymington ferry  (a) above and  (b) below the low water mark; and who is responsible for ensuring those restrictions are adhered to.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not make assessments of the impacts of private ferry services, or conduct any related consultations, nor do we impose any obligations upon Wightlink to operate a ferry service between Lymington and Yarmouth.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for issuing a passenger safety certificate for ferries but the Department has no other role in respect of restrictions on ferry operations or for any further permissions required. I understand that works to berths or jetties to facilitate ferry operations are or have been the subject of applications for consent from DEFRA and the local planning authorities.

Freight

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road haulage operators were trading in each of the last five years for which figures were available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The following number of road haulage operators were trading in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2007-08 98,316 
			 2006-07 99,794 
			 2005-06 99,889 
			 2004-05 102,746 
			 2003-04 105,218

Freight

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road haulage companies entered receivership in 2007 and how many have done so in 2008 to date.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) does not record this information.

Grants

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what area-based grants his Department makes; and what the budget for each such type of grant is in 2008-09.

Geoff Hoon: The area-based grants made by the Department for Transport for the Comprehensive Spending Review period of 2008-11 are published in a table on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/xls/770696.xls
	The budget for each grant is included in the table.

Gulf of Aden: Piracy

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment his Department has made of the risks to UK-flagged merchant vessels from piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Piracy is an international problem that requires an international solution. Piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden are less than 0.1 per cent. of the estimated 16,000 vessels which pass through the region annually. The Government are however, very concerned by increasing numbers of incidents in and around Somali waters. The EU is planning a counter piracy operation to which the UK will provide the operation commander and operation headquarters. EU partners agree that any operation must be co-ordinated with NATO and Combined Task Force 150, themselves active to deter piracy off the Horn of Africa. The UK contributes to both. The UK Government are also tackling piracy at its roots on land. Through the Department for International Development, the UK has allocated £25 million to support efforts to tackle instability in Somalia. The instability creates the conditions allowing piratical activities to flourish.
	The Department for Transport has issued advice to seafarers on the measures that can be taken to prevent acts of piracy and armed robbery in Marine Guidance Note 298. We have also urged masters to obtain up to date information about pirate attacks in order to plan their passage through the Gulf of Aden. This advice can be obtained from the Royal Navy's UK Maritime Trade Operation based in Dubai. The shipping industry has also been informed of the Maritime Security Patrol Area (MPSA) established by the Combined Maritime Forces. The MPSA does not eliminate the risk of criminal activity and shipping has been warned to exercise extreme caution and vigilance.

Highways Agency: Compulsory Purchase

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many properties the Highways Agency has acquired through compulsory purchase in each year since 1995; and what percentage of such properties have subsequently been  (a) demolished and a road scheme progressed,  (b) demolished without a road scheme being progressed,  (c) resold and  (d) retained.

Paul Clark: holding answer 13 November 2008
	Since 1995, the Agency has purchased 1,776 properties in advance of its immediate operational requirements. Of these 1,776 properties, 436 were agricultural, 1,114 were residential and 226 were commercial.
	The Agency cannot separately identify the method of purchase but they were bought using compulsory purchase powers, the planning blight provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act or discretionary purchase powers under the Highways Act.
	1,125 of these properties have been sold (63 per cent. of the total), 107 have been demolished (6 per cent.), and a further 88 (5 per cent.) have been removed for other reasons, for example, plots combined together with another property for a sale or taken into operational use. 456 properties (26 per cent.) are currently being retained, although 132 (29 per cent.) of these retained properties are surplus and will be sold.
	We are unable to identify which properties may have been demolished for reasons other than a road scheme without referring to individual property files.
	The following tables detail the breakdown of the purchases, demolitions and sales.
	
		
			  Properties purchased since 1 January 1995 
			Sold  Demolished  Other removals  Retained 
			   Bought  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Commercial 226 105 46 22 10 36 16 63 28 
			 Agric 436 162 37 30 7 47 11 197 45 
			 Residential 1,114 858 77 55 5 5 0.4 196 18 
			 Total 1,776 1,125 63 107 6 88 5 456 26 
		
	
	
		
			  Properties purchased by year since 1995 
			   Agricultural  Commercial  Residential  Total 
			 1995 67 20 451 538 
			 1996 67 25 291 383 
			 1997 36 26 126 188 
			 1998 40 29 51 120 
			 1999 18 19 28 65 
			 2000 29 12 22 63 
			 2001 20 18 16 54 
			 2002 16 10 20 46 
			 2003 23 18 18 59 
			 2004 47 26 13 86 
			 2005 32 11 26 69 
			 2006 28 7 24 59 
			 2007 11 4 14 29 
			 2008 2 1 14 17 
			 Total 436 226 1,114 1,776 
		
	
	
		
			  Of the retained properties bought since 1995, the following are now surplus and will be sold 
			   Number /percentage 
			 Residential 15 
			 Commercial 27 
			 Agricultural 90 
			 Total 132 
			 Percentage 29

M40: Noise

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what consultation arrangements will be made with regard to the Highways Agency's report into its estimates of the cost of noise barrier improvements on the M40 at Milton Common; and whether the data used in the production of the report will be published;
	(2)  when the Highways Agency will publish the report requested in March 2008 by the Department of Transport on the Agency's estimates for noise barrier improvements on the M40 at Milton Common.

Paul Clark: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The findings of the Highways Agency's study into noise barrier improvements on the M40 at Milton Common should be available by the end of December and we aim to publish them early in 2009.
	Consideration of any mitigation measures is still at an early stage and decisions on consultation arrangements will be made alongside any decisions on an eventual scheme.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projects the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is conducting; and from what budgets project expenditure is met in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) current plans, activities and priorities are set out in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08, including its plans for 2008-09 and beyond. Current projects with defined start and end dates using project management methodology are:
	Automatic Identification System (AIS) Service provision
	Search and Rescue Helicopter (SAR-H) Harmonisation with the Ministry of Defence
	Radio Equipment Replacement
	Consolidated European Reporting System (CERS) development
	Seafarer Records System development
	Direction Finding replacement
	Security accreditation for migrating to the Public Sector network
	Estate Management and maintenance.
	The costs of these will be split between the Agency's published resource and capital budgets as appropriate.

Members: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Chief Executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency plans to provide a substantive response to the letters from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 30 June and 20 August 2008 on his constituent, Ms J. Wood of Great Leighs, Chelmsford.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 12 November 2008
	 The Chief Executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has not received any correspondence dated 30 June or 20 August from the hon. Member on behalf of his constituent, Ms Joanne Wood. He did receive a letter dated 23 June and a reply was sent on 8 July. If the hon. Member would care to re-submit his letter of 20 August to DVLA, its content will be given full consideration and a reply provided.

Performance Appraisal

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their annual report in the latest reporting year for which figures are available.

Geoff Hoon: The central Department and its agencies recorded the following numbers of staff who were bottom ranked in their annual report for the period ending 31 March 2008.
	
		
			  2007-08  Total number bottom ranked in annual report. 
			 DFTC 24 
			 DSA 8 
			 DVLA 24 
			 HA 11 
			 VCA 0 
			 MCA 0 
			 GCDA 1 
			 VOSA (1)7 
			 Total 75 
			 (1) The Vehicle and Operator Service (VOSA) do not have box markings within their performance management arrangements and could not provide information.

Piracy

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of piracy affecting UK-flagged merchant vessels his Department has been made aware of in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of British-flagged or British-managed ships that have reported piracy incidents to the International Maritime Bureau in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   Ships flagged in UK 
			 2004 7 
			 2005 4 
			 2006 3 
			 2007 3 
			 2008 5

Railway Network: Greater London

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much capital has been spent on each central London overground passenger rail terminal in each year since 1997; and what the projected capital spend for each terminal is for the next five years.

Paul Clark: I am advised that this information does not exist in the format requested. However, Network Rail has indicated that it should be able to work out the figures for the period from 2004 to 2014. The hon. Member should therefore contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his questions.
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London N1 9AG

Rescue Services: Telecommunications

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on charges to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for the use of very high frequency communications; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The issues that have been raised about the charges for the use of the very high frequency communications by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have been brought to the attention of the appropriate authority, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Ofcom's consultation, "Applying spectrum pricing to the Maritime and Aeronautical sectors", finished at the end of last month and they will now evaluate these responses.

Roads: Accidents

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many accidents involved cars without a valid MOT certificate in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many road traffic accidents involving uninsured drivers have been reported to his Department in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1010W.

Roads: Accidents

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) men and  (b) women aged between 17 and 21 were killed in road traffic accidents in (i) Gateshead and (ii) Sunderland in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is given in the table:
	
		
			  Number of fatalities 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			   Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 Gateshead 0 1 1 3 1 4 0 1 1 
			 Sunderland 2 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0

Schools: Transport

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost per seat of retrospective fitting of seat belts to school buses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 5 November 2008
	National legislation, brought in during 1998, requires that all coaches and minibuses irrespective of their age, that carry groups of children aged three to 15 years on organised school trips, including dedicated home-to-school transport, are equipped with seat belts.
	Since 1 October 2001, seat belts have been required to be installed in each forward and rearward facing seat in all new buses. There is derogation from these requirements for buses specifically designed for urban use with standing passengers, when used for scheduled commercial services, whether or not school children are being carried.
	The Department for Transport has made no recent estimate of the cost of retrospectively fitting seat belts to all vehicles used for school transport.
	The decision not to require the retrospective fitting of seat belts to urban buses was taken primarily on technical grounds. A review of the design of buses and of the materials used in their construction concluded that seat belts could not be easily installed in such a way as to be effective without very significant changes being made to the vehicle's construction.
	While modern coaches are designed to accommodate seat belts, the strength of the important structural points in buses has generally remained unaltered.

Somerset Trust: Finance

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments have been made from his Department to the Somerset Trust for access easements for infrastructure projects.

Paul Clark: The Highways Agency has interrogated its Highways Agency Lands IT system (HAL), which is the tool for recording and managing all land compensation business, including financial management.
	It has been unable to identify record of payment made directly to the Somerset Trust.

Speed Limits: Rural Areas

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the speed limits on rural roads; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: National speed limits are kept under review to ensure they remain appropriate, and will be considered in developing the new Road Safety Strategy for the years beyond 2010.
	In the meantime, local authorities have powers to introduce local speed limits on their roads, and the Department for Transport issued guidance on this in August 2006, asking local authorities to review the speed limits on all of their A and B roads, and implement any necessary changes, by 2011.

Transport: Advisory Bodies

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Government Office regions have established regional transport boards.

Paul Clark: All Government office regions have established committees or boards responsible for considering regional transport strategy. However not all of the regions use the term "regional transport boards", and the particular arrangements vary, for example on membership, to fit with other regional structures. There is no statutory requirement to establish a regional transport board.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Pay

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Leader of the House how many hon. Members are not eligible for any additional salary granted for a Ministerial or other position in the House above the basic hon. Member's salary.

Chris Bryant: A total of 158 Members currently receive an addition to the basic Member's salary, listed as follows:
	31 Select Committee Chairmen
	32 Members of the Chairmen's Panel
	one Speaker
	one Chairman of Ways and Means
	two Deputy Chairs of Ways and Means
	The Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition Chief Whip.
	There are currently 97 Ministers who are MPs, tabled as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Cabinet 21 
			 Minister 27 
			 PUSS 30 
			 Whip 18 
			 Law officers 1 
		
	
	Of these, eight are unpaid, making a total of 89 paid Ministers.
	483 Members will therefore receive the basic salary only. (The figures exclude the five Sinn Fein Members who do not receive a salary).

Performance Appraisal

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House how many staff in her Office did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their annual report in the latest reporting year for which figures are available.

Chris Bryant: All staff in the Leader of the House's Office achieved an acceptable assessment grade in their annual appraisal report in the reporting year 2007 to 2008.

PRIME MINISTER

Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to visit Bournemouth.

Gordon Brown: I have no current plans to do so.

Middle East

William Hague: To ask the Prime Minister what the names and affiliations of the members of the business delegation that accompanied him on his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are.

Gordon Brown: The following business leaders accompanied me on my trip to the Gulf states:
	Mike Beaumont—Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd.;
	Malcolm Brinded CBE—Shell (Royal Dutch Shell);
	Professor Keith Burnett CBE FRS—Sheffield University;
	Graham Cartledge—Benoy;
	Philip Cox—International Power;
	Tom Delay—The Carbon Trust;
	Tony Douglas—Laing O'Rourke;
	Professor Malcolm Grant CBE MA LLD—University College London;
	Philip Green—United Utilities;
	Dr. Tony Hayward—BP;
	David Hodgkinson—HSBC Holdings;
	Christopher Hyman—Serco Group plc;
	Lady Barbara Judge—United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority;
	Sam Laidlaw—Centrica;
	Richard Lambert—CBI;
	Lord Levene of Portsoken KBE—Lloyd's of London;
	Neil MacGregor—British Museum;
	Mouzhan Majidi—Foster + Partners;
	John McDonough—Carillion;
	John Napier—Royal and Sun Alliance;
	Dick Olver—BAE Systems;
	Angad Paul—Caparo Group;
	Leo Quinn—De La Rue;
	Sir John Rose—Rolls-Royce;
	Peter Sands—Standard Chartered Bank;
	Sir Nicholas Serota—The Tate;
	Right hon. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean;
	Ian Tyler—Balfour Beatty.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Antisocial Behaviour

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to reduce the number of drunk and disorderly people being held in police custody; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The National Alcohol Strategy 'Safe.Sensible.Social' sets out the Government's plan to minimise the health harms, violence and antisocial behaviour associated with alcohol, while ensuring that people are able to enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly. The Strategy focuses action on three groups most at risk which are 18-24 year old binge drinkers, young people under 18 who drink alcohol, and harmful drinkers whose drinking is damaging their health, often without them realising it. The Strategy contains a range of measures to tackle alcohol related crime and disorder, which will have an effect on the number of people becoming drunk and disorderly in public, therefore reducing the number who end up in police custody.
	In particular, the Home Office has funded 13 alcohol arrest referral pilots around the country. Alcohol arrest referral schemes make provision, in suitable cases, for adults arrested for alcohol-related offences to be referred to brief advice sessions. Sessions are structured to inform arrestees about the links between unsafe drinking and offending. The schemes aim to reduce offending rates among binge drinkers who are not dependent on alcohol.
	Additionally, the Government have also recently launched a new, hard-hitting £4 million national advertising campaign, under the Know Your Limits banner, to drive home the serious consequences of binge drinking. It poses the question:
	'You wouldn't start a night like this, so why end it that way?'

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti social behaviour orders have been issued in the London Borough of Enfield in each year since 1999.

Alan Campbell: Information on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued is not available below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.
	The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of antisocial behaviour orders issued at all courts in the Greater London Criminal Justice System area, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2006 
			   Number 
			 1999-2000(1) 28 
			 2001 15 
			 2002 21 
			 2003 139 
			 2004 446 
			 2005 533 
			 2006 359 
			 Total 1,541 
			 (1) 1 April 1999-31 December 2000.  Notes: 1. Previously issued data have been revised. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Prepared by OCJR Evidence and Analysis Unit.

Arrests: Drugs

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) arrested and  (b) charged with possession of Class (i) A, (ii) B and (iii) C drugs in each police force area in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person, burglary, robbery and drug offences.
	From these centrally reported data we are not able to identify specific offences from within the main offence groups.
	Information on offenders charged by the police is not reported to the Home Office.

Community Policing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to her Department's news release of 22 September 2008, what powers the proposed community crime fighters will have; and what accreditation they will undergo.

Alan Campbell: Community crime fighters will be members of the public who are already actively involved in their communities. They will not have any legal powers but will receive free training in things like getting the best services for victims and witnesses, what the policing pledge will mean on the ground and what powers can and should be employed by local services to tackle antisocial behaviour and crime.

Community Support Officers: Manpower

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers there are in  (a) Bolton and  (b) England.

Vernon Coaker: There were 67 full-time equivalent police community support officers in the Bolton Basic Command Unit of Greater Manchester police and 15,108 full-time equivalent police community support officers in England as at 31 March 2008.

Control Orders

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people have  (a) been made the subject of a control order,  (b) absconded whilst the subject of a control order and  (c) otherwise breached the terms of a control order in each quarter since the inception of such orders; how many people have breached an order on (i) more than one occasion and (ii) more than two occasions; and how many people have absconded on more than one occasion;
	(2)  how many people who have absconded whilst subject to a control order have been arrested or otherwise located and returned to control;
	(3)  how many people have been  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted of breaching of a control order; and how many of those convicted have received a custodial sentence;
	(4)  how many people of each nationality have been made the subject of a control order since the inception of such orders.

Vernon Coaker: The Secretary of State reports to Parliament on the exercise of her powers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005.
	As of 10 September 2008, the last date covered by the most recent report, 38 individuals have been made subject to a control order. (The total number of control orders made is higher as some individuals have had more than one order made against them.)
	These reports include the number of individuals subject to a control order, the number who are British citizens, and the number, if there were any, who have absconded from a control order. I refer the hon. Member to these reports, and in particular the reports of 11 December 2006, 16 January 2007, 22 March 2007, 24 May 2007, 21 June 2007 and 17 September 2007. These statements give as much information as we can provide about the individuals who have absconded given the national security sensitivities of these cases and the need to avoid publishing any information that could lead to the identification of an individual who is subject to an anonymity order.
	The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Office are currently working with the National Coordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data relating to those arrested, charged, convicted and imprisoned under terrorist legislation and under other legislation but considered terrorist related. As soon as this is complete a Statistical Bulletin covering this information will be published by the Home Office. This Statistical Bulletin will include figures showing the number of people charged and convicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005.

Crime: EU Nationals

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many A2 nationals were arrested for crimes connected with automatic teller machines in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person, burglary, robbery and drug offences. From these centrally reported data we are not able to identify specific offences from within the main offence groups.
	The data are also broken down by age group, gender, ethnicity and police force area. Information on the nationality of offenders does not form a part of this collection, therefore data on the number of arrests of A2 nationals (from Romania and Bulgaria) is not available.

Crime: Information and Communications Technology

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the  (a) reliability and  (b) usefulness of headcam technology in tackling crime; if she will make resources available to make this technology more widely available to the police; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: A pilot programme for body worn video (which includes head cameras) ran in Plymouth from September 2006 to April 2007. During the pilot the following key points were identified:
	Violent crime was reduced by 8 per cent in the pilot sectors (1 per cent. elsewhere);
	More serious violence was reduced by 18 per cent. (no change elsewhere);
	An increase of 85 per cent. in violent incidents resulting in an arrest;
	An increase of 40 per cent. in the number of violent crimes detected.
	A number of providers supply body worn video devices. Individual police forces negotiate the best device to fit their needs. Kent police have demonstrated some excellent work in developing a bespoke device with a commercial provider.
	The Home Office made a fund of £3 million available specifically to enable police forces across the country to widen their use of body worn video devices. This announcement was made on 12 July 2007, when guidance on the use of this equipment was published by PCSD, which was compiled with the National Police Improvement Agency and the support of ACPO.
	Suffolk police was awarded £60,000 of this fund, which was a mid-range allocation from the 38 bids awarded.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which programmes funded by her Department experienced a real-terms reduction in their budget between 2006-07 and 2007-08; and what the budget was in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 in each case.

Vernon Coaker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty) on 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 334W.

Departmental Telecommunications

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies spent on telecommunications in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  HO (Including UKBA) 
			  Account   2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  Total 
			  Telecoms Computer line calls — — — — — 
			  Computer line rent — — — — — 
			  Mobile Phone Rent — — — — — 
			  Mobile call charges — — — — — 
			  Mobile phone rent — — — — — 
			  Pagers — — — — — 
			  Phone call charges — — — — — 
			  Rent of other equipment — — — — — 
			  Rent of telephone exchanges — — — — — 
			  Rolling costs — — — — — 
			 Total  10,716,855.86 14,422,253.87 12,818,464.57 14,172,973.47 52,130,547.77 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Identity Passport Service 
			  FY  Grand total 
			 1997-98 334,738 
			 1998-99 430,284 
			 1999-2000 1,214,271 
			 2000-01 3,364,716 
			 2001-02 5,606,094 
			 2002-03 5,252,287 
			 2003-04 5,534,515 
			 2004-05 7,892,543 
			 2005-06 8,903,522 
			 2006-07 10,603,607 
			 2007-08 12,852,736

Domestic Violence

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the long-term funding of independent domestic violence advisers in  (a) Hampshire and  (b) England and Wales.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 30 October 2008
	The Government are committed to contributing towards funding independent domestic violence adviser (IDVA) services with funds derived from the victims surcharge. In 2008-09 125 IDVA services were allocated grants including the 104 services supporting the specialist domestic violence courts. This includes four sites in Hampshire at Alton, Andover, Portsmouth and Southampton. The Government also allocated funding in 2008-09 to Government offices for the expansion of IDVA services (and multi-agency risk assessment conferences) locally and anticipates that funding will be made available again in 2009-10.

Drinking Banning Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of implementing drinking banning orders, including funding transfers to other departments.

Alan Campbell: The Impact Assessment in respect of drinking banning orders (DBOs) is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/ria-violent-crime-bill-cov-0605/
	The administrative costs of DBOs are assumed to be equivalent of an ASBO; £5 million to £30 million. The custodial costs of a DBO are lower (than an ASBO) since the shorter DBOs are assumed to have fewer breaches. This is estimated to be £0.5 million to £2.5 million or £2 million to £10 million, if the increased number requires new prison places to be constructed. This assumes an equal mix of two, six and 12-month DBOs. The additional construction costs are not expected to be necessary as the total impact is expected to be less than 100 prison places. Even this scenario allows for six times more DBOs than there are currently ASBOs.
	This implies total costs in the range of £5.5 million to £32.5 million. These estimates do not take into account the possible impacts on the profits of businesses who may lose revenue from banned drinkers.
	The production of the Impact Assessment pre-dates the creation of the Ministry of Justice, and therefore there is no separate costing for this Department.

Driving Offences: Fines

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicle owners were fined for having a vehicle on the public roads without a valid MOT certificate in the last 12 months.

Alan Campbell: The court proceedings database held by the Ministry of Justice cannot separately identify the specific offence of driving a vehicle without a valid MOT certificate. The following table shows the total number of fines imposed at magistrates courts for all vehicle test offences. Data for 2007 are expected to be published at the end of November this year.
	As vehicle test offences are also dealt with by the police with the issue of a fixed penalty notice, data on the number issued in 2006 are also included in the table.
	
		
			  Total number of court imposed fines( 1)  at magistrates courts and fixed penalty notices( 2)  issued by the police for vehicle test offences( 3) , England and Wales, 2006( 4,5) 
			   Total 
			 Number of court imposed fines 51,332 
			 Number of penalty notices issued by the police 2,921 
			 (1) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 10 each year. (2) Paid, i.e. no further action. (3) Offences aiding, abetting, causing or permitting vehicle test offences (except fraud) under the Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 47(1), 51(2), 53(1) - (3), 63(1), 63(2), 67(9), 76(8), 165(3) and 175; Road Traffic (Foreign Vehicles Act 1972 s.3(1) (c); Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 Regs. 70 and 73. (4) It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences is less than complete. (5) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces, As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Emergency Services: Radio

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many Airwave handsets have been lost in each year since introduced, broken down by organisation;
	(2)  how many  (a) lost,  (b) broken and  (c) other airwave handsets have been disabled by Airwave Solutions Ltd in each year since the airwave handsets were introduced, broken down by police force.

Vernon Coaker: The number of Airwave radio terminals that have been reported lost or stolen by organisations responsible to the Secretary of State for the Home Department since 2002 is 2,699. Each year this represents a very small percentage of the terminals in circulation, for example, for 2008 the number of terminals lost or stolen is less than 1 per cent. of the estimated current terminal population. The breakdown across organisations is given in the following table. The figures for these questions have been compiled from data provided by forces.
	Handsets that have been reported lost or stolen are disabled within a short period of time in accordance with a published code of practice. The total number of terminals that have been disabled is likely to be higher than the number reported lost or stolen. This is because the figures do not include broken terminals. Broken terminals are disabled; however, this figure is not held centrally.
	Some terminals which are reported lost or stolen may later be found; however, these data are not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Organisation  Terminals lost or stolen 
			  2002  
			 Lancashire Constabulary 4 
			 Suffolk Constabulary 2 
			   
			  2003  
			 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 5 
			 Derbyshire Constabulary 3 
			 Greater Manchester Police 12 
			 Humberside Police 3 
			 Lancashire Constabulary 32 
			 Leicestershire Constabulary 8 
			 Northumbria Police 1 
			 Staffordshire Police 1 
			 Suffolk Constabulary 2 
			 West Mercia Constabulary 8 
			   
			  2004  
			 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 37 
			 Bedfordshire Police 3 
			 Cambridgeshire Constabulary 2 
			 Cheshire Constabulary 1 
			 Derbyshire Constabulary 6 
			 Essex Police 4 
			 Gloucestershire Constabulary 40 
			 Greater Manchester Police 96 
			 Gwent Police 9 
			 Hertfordshire Constabulary 7 
			 Lancashire Constabulary 17 
			 Leicestershire Constabulary 24 
			 North Yorkshire Police 2 
			 Northumbria Police 2 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 1 
			 South Yorkshire Police 6 
			 Suffolk Constabulary 6 
			 Surrey Police 5 
			 West Mercia Constabulary 25 
			 West Yorkshire Police 1 
			 Wiltshire Constabulary 1 
			   
			  2005  
			 Avon And Somerset Constabulary 34 
			 Bedfordshire Police 1 
			 Cambridgeshire Constabulary 2 
			 Cheshire Constabulary 3 
			 City of London Police 1 
			 Cleveland Police 2 
			 Derbyshire Constabulary 1 
			 Dorset Police 1 
			 Durham Constabulary 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys Police 4 
			 Essex Police 1 
			 Gloucestershire Constabulary 19 
			 Greater Manchester Police 93 
			 Gwent Police 9 
			 Hampshire Constabulary 6 
			 Hertfordshire Constabulary 2 
			 Humberside Police 2 
			 Kent Police 2 
			 Leicestershire Constabulary 21 
			 Lincolnshire Police 1 
			 Merseyside Police 5 
			 Norfolk Constabulary 8 
			 Northumbria Police 7 
			 South Yorkshire Police 2 
			 Suffolk Constabulary 4 
			 Surrey Police 19 
			 Thames Valley Police 3 
			 West Mercia Constabulary 22 
			 West Midlands Police 10 
			 West Yorkshire Police 10 
			   
			  2006  
			 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 40 
			 Cambridgeshire Constabulary 4 
			 Cheshire Constabulary 4 
			 City of London Police 3 
			 Cleveland Police 8 
			 Derbyshire Constabulary 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall Constabulary 9 
			 Dorset Police 6 
			 Dyfed-Powys Police 6 
			 Essex Police 2 
			 Gloucestershire Constabulary 3 
			 Greater Manchester Police 90 
			 Gwent Police 3 
			 Hampshire Constabulary 1 
			 Humberside Police 3 
			 Kent Police 2 
			 Leicestershire Constabulary 9 
			 Merseyside Police 18 
			 Norfolk Constabulary 4 
			 Northumbria Police 3 
			 Serious and Organised Crime Agency 1 
			 South Yorkshire Police 6 
			 Suffolk Constabulary 1 
			 Surrey Police 11 
			 West Mercia Constabulary 12 
			 West Midlands Police 64 
			 West Yorkshire Police 16 
			   
			  2007  
			 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 29 
			 Borders and Immigration Agency 7 
			 Cambridgeshire Constabulary 3 
			 Cheshire Constabulary 5 
			 City of London Police 3 
			 Cumbria Constabulary 8 
			 Derbyshire Constabulary 5 
			 Devon And Cornwall Constabulary 6 
			 Dorset Police 6 
			 Dyfed-Powys Police 5 
			 Gloucestershire Constabulary 17 
			 Greater Manchester Police 158 
			 Gwent Police 14 
			 Hampshire Constabulary 1 
			 Humberside Police 8 
			 Kent Police 8 
			 Leicestershire Constabulary 22 
			 Lincolnshire Police 7 
			 Merseyside Police 24 
			 Norfolk Constabulary 12 
			 North Wales Police 17 
			 Northumbria Police 1 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 3 
			 Serious and Organised Crime Agency 22 
			 South Yorkshire Police 14 
			 Suffolk Constabulary 4 
			 Surrey Police 23 
			 Sussex Police 49 
			 West Mercia Constabulary 23 
			 West Midlands Police 111 
			 West Yorkshire Police 26 
			   
			  2008  
			 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 21 
			 Bedfordshire Police 2 
			 City of London Police 7 
			 Cumbria Constabulary 3 
			 Derbyshire Constabulary 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall Constabulary 5 
			 Dorset Police 7 
			 Dyfed-Powys Police 8 
			 Essex Police 1 
			 Greater Manchester Police 208 
			 Gwent Police 4 
			 Hampshire Constabulary 6 
			 Humberside Police 3 
			 Kent Police 8 
			 Lancashire Constabulary 1 
			 Leicestershire Constabulary 13 
			 Merseyside Police 5 
			 Metropolitan Police Service 556 
			 Norfolk Constabulary 9 
			 North Wales Police 14 
			 Northumbria Police 1 
			 Serious and Organised Crime Agency 5 
			 South Wales Police 4 
			 South Yorkshire Police 2 
			 Staffordshire Police 2 
			 Surrey Police 12 
			 Sussex Police 11 
			 Thames Valley Police 1 
			 Warwickshire Police 1 
			 West Mercia Constabulary 41 
			 West Midlands Police 79 
			 West Yorkshire Police 15 
			 Total 2,699

Essex Police Authority: Pay

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much each official employed by Essex Police Authority has received in bonuses in each of the last three financial years; and what the grade of each official was.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not held centrally.

Essex Police Authority: Pay

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to determine whether staff employed by Essex Police Authority receive a bonus; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not held centrally.

Fixed Penalties: Cycling

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued for offences committed on pedal cycles in each of the last three years, broken down by police force area.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Fixed Penalties: Proof of Identity

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who received a fixed penalty notice in the last three years were later found to have given  (a) a false address and  (b) an incorrect address to the relevant authorities.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Greater Manchester Police: Labour Turnover

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers  (a) were recruited to and  (b) left Greater Manchester Police in each year since 2001.

Vernon Coaker: The available data are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officer recruits( 1)  and leavers( 2)  for Greater Manchester Police (FTE)( 3)  from 2002-03 to 2007-08( 4) 
			   Joiners  Leavers 
			 2002-03 113 106(5) 
			 2003-04 978 279 
			 2004-05 233 316 
			 2005-06 277 421 
			 2006-07 362 403 
			 2007-08 426 381 
			 (1) This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Includes normal retirements, medical retirements, resignations, dismissals and death but not transfers to other England and Wales forces and officers leaving after a period of secondment. (3) Full Time Equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (4) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Data are not available prior to 2002-03. (5) Excludes quarter one, data not available.

Identity Cards: Biometrics

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of records against which each biometric taken for the purpose of enrolment in the identity card scheme will need to be checked when the scheme is fully rolled out.

Meg Hillier: It is our intention to conduct checks on individual biometrics when people enrol, against those of other people who have previously enrolled.
	The number of people eventually enrolled in the scheme will depend on the take up of identity cards, but the Identity and Passport Service currently holds some 43 million active passport records.

Identity Cards: Biometrics

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the process of verification of an individual's biometric identifiers for the identity card scheme will check the biometric against a local copy held on the card or against the biometric stored on the National Identity Register.

Meg Hillier: Verification checks of biometrics identifiers will be made against the card in most cases using the biometrics stored in the chip, for example if the facial image or fingerprint biometrics are verified as part of an immigration check at the border. Only in specific circumstances, for example if an ID card has been lost, would verification of identity take place against the biometrics held on the National Identity Register. Such checks will provide a very secure and reliable means of proving identity.

Identity Cards: Biometrics

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of false matches likely if fingerprint biometrics alone are used for the biometric verification for the identity card scheme after the enrolment of  (a) one million,  (b) six million,  (c) 40 million and  (d) 60 million individuals.

Meg Hillier: The Identity and Passport Service is still in the process of procurement of specific biometric systems, hence we are unable to give an estimate of false matches that may occur. In the event of an uncertain fingerprint match the scheme will make use of human fingerprint experts to resolve uncertain fingerprint matches from the automated fingerprint matching system.
	This procedure is used in all large-scale fingerprint systems to control false matches and the process will apply irrespective of the size of the database.

Identity Cards: Biometrics

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response she has made to the views expressed in the annual report for 2007 from the Biometrics Assurance Group on exception handling and fingerprint biometrics of the over 75 year olds for the purposes of the identity card scheme.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 12 September 2008
	 Responses were only made to the specific recommendations of the Biometrics Assurance Group and as no specific recommendation was made regarding exception handling or the collection of fingerprint biometrics for the elderly, no comment was made.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recommendations of the Independent Police Complaints Commission have not been implemented in each of the last five years; what the reason was in each case; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what the Independent Police Complaints Commission's (IPCCs) target is for conclusion of investigation of a complaint against the police from the date of registration of the complaint; what the average time taken per case has been since the IPCC was set; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not hold the information requested. This is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Independent Police Complaints Commission: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department provided to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in each of the last three years; what recent discussions she has had with the IPCC about future funding; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office has provided the following amounts towards the funding of the Independent Police Complaints Commission in the last three years:
	
		
			   Amounts provided towards funding (£ million) 
			 2006-07 31.2 
			 2007-08 32.2 
			 2008-09 34.2 
		
	
	We continue to work closely with the IPCC to ensure that they are sufficiently funded both now and in the future to achieve their objectives while ensuring value for money and appropriate efficiency and effectiveness.

Police National Missing Person Bureau

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the Police National Missing Person Bureau; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The National Policing Improvement Agency's (NPIA) Missing Persons Bureau has been developing its services to police forces, partners and stakeholders. This includes examining the protocols for the capture, storage and matching of DNA in missing persons' cases, and work with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) on their Action Plan on Young Runaways, launched in June 2008. The Bureau has a change programme with over 40 enhancements designed to develop its response to missing person investigations.
	A new national child rescue alert system is being developed and will enable the Bureau to launch United Kingdom-wide alerts and to participate in launching cross-border alerts with other European Union (EU) member states.
	The Bureau is involved in an EU-sponsored (Justice and Home Affairs Council) joint Anglo-French alert exercise to determine if a national scheme is viable for the United Kingdom and test a hypothesis of how such a scheme might work.
	The Bureau is currently liaising with the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (USA) and with four EU member states in this development programme.
	A review is currently being carried out of the state of 'unidentified body' cases within forces and encouraging forensic reviews. Work is also being done to establish an effective DNA strategy for missing persons' enquiries and the Bureau is developing its IT system (Hermes) to enable automatic and electronic transfer of data from police forces to the Bureau and onwards to the charity Missing People.
	One of the key future priorities for the Bureau is the development of a code of practice to create a national 'picture' of missing people. A code will generate accurate and timely data to enable the new national indicator on runaways as part of the National Indicator Set for 2009-2010. This indicator (NI71) is designed to secure effective joint working between children's services, the police and other local partners to ensure that necessary data about young runaways is collected, analysed and used to assist in safeguarding children. This code of practice has been drafted and consultation ends on November 21.
	A co-hosted event with the charity Missing People will be held in April 2009 to raise awareness and to share best practice.

Police Patrolling

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours were spent on patrol by police officers in each police force area in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: It is not possible to answer this question except at disproportionate cost.

Police: Bureaucracy

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours were spent on paperwork or administrative duties by police officers in each police force area in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Police: Complaints

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what courts completed proceedings against police officers from Essex have taken place in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: I have been informed by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform that the data held centrally on court proceedings do not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which prosecutions are brought.
	It is therefore not possible to identify the occupation of a defendant who has been prosecuted or convicted of a criminal offence. As a result the information requested on court proceedings is not available.

Police: Complaints

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what publications have been made available to the general public setting out the statutory police complaint procedure; by whom these publications have been published; and if she will place copies of each publication in the Library.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which has a guardianship role for the police complaints system under the Police Reform Act 2002, sets out on its website details of the complaints and appeals procedures at:
	http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/index.htm
	It also produces advice in hard copy and I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

Police: Complaints

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many complaints have been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in  (a) England and  (b) Essex since the IPCC was established, broken down by police force; and how many have been upheld in each case;
	(2)  what complaints to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) have been upheld since the establishment of the IPCC; what steps were taken in each case by the relevant police force to implement the relevant recommendations; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  how many complaints have been made against police officers in  (a) Southend and  (b) Essex in each year since 1997; and what action has been taken against each of the officers concerned when complaints have been upheld.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not hold the information requested. This is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Police: Crime

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving police officers have been  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted of a criminal offence in each month since June 2007, broken down by (i) sex, (ii) age and (iii) police force; and how many of those convicted were (A) suspended from duty, (B) demoted, (C) dismissed and (D) cautioned.

Vernon Coaker: I have been informed by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform that the data held centrally on court proceedings do not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which prosecutions are brought.
	It is therefore not possible to identify the occupation of a defendant who has been prosecuted or convicted of a criminal offence. As a result the information requested on court proceedings is not available.

Police: Enfield

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in the London Borough of Enfield in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Police service strength data have been centrally collected at the Basic Command Unit (BCU) level from 2003 onwards.
	As at 31 March 2003 there were 490 full-time equivalent police officers in the Enfield BCU, increasing to 546 as at 31 March 2008.
	As at 31 March 1997 there were 26,677 full-time equivalent police officers in the Metropolitan Police force, increasing to 31,014 as at 31 March 2008.

Police: Enfield

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours per day on average police officers in the London Borough of Enfield spent on patrol in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Data on officer activity are not collected centrally for individual boroughs.

Police: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers,  (b) police constables,  (c) police sergeants and  (d) police community support officers were working in the London borough of Enfield in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The available data are given in the following table. Enfield is a Basic Command Unit (BCU) within the Metropolitan Police. Police personnel statistics were not collected at BCU level until 2002-03 and are not collected by rank of officer.
	
		
			  Police officer strength (FTE)( 1)  and police community support officer strength (FTE)1 for the Basic Command Unit of Enfield( 2) 
			   Officers  PCSOs 
			 2003 490 — 
			 2004 538 — 
			 2005 575 — 
			 2006 560 — 
			 2007(3) 582 119 
			 2008 546 134 
			 (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items. Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2) Figures as at 31 March in each of the given years. (3) 2006-07 is the first year that that police community support officer strength by Basic Command Unit has been collected centrally.

Police: Recruitment

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were recruited in England in each year since 2005-06.

Vernon Coaker: The number of full-time equivalent police officer recruits in England for the requested financial years only are given as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 6,235 
			 2006-07 6,250 
			 2007-08 5,512 
		
	
	Recruits include those officers joining as Police Standard Direct Recruits and those who were previously special constables. This excludes police officers on transfers from other forces and those rejoining.

Shoplifting: Fines

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value of the default fine issued under a fixed penalty notice is for the offence of shoplifting goods of under £200 in value.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The fine for non-payment of a Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) issued for shoplifting is £120.
	Under the PND Scheme police can issue an £80 fixed penalty for shoplifting of goods under £200. The recipient has 21 days in which either to pay the penalty or have their case heard in court. If no action is taken, a fine of one and half times the penalty amount is registered by the courts. PNDs are issued for thefts of value of more than £100 exceptionally and normally where the goods have been recovered.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authority CCTV cameras use her Department's automatic number plate recognition system.

Alan Campbell: This information is not held centrally as it is a matter for individual police forces and local authorities.
	The Home Office provided £32.5 million from the Home Office 2005-06 capital investment to develop the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) at the national, regional and local level. Consequently, it was a decision for police forces and their partners to decide how best to facilitate the linkages between ANPR and closed circuit television (CCTV) systems according to local policing needs.

Surveillance: Telecommunications

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether representatives of the interceptions of communications commissioner undertake inspections of local authorities.

Vernon Coaker: Representatives of the interception of communications commissioner's office are responsible for inspecting those local authorities which make use of the communications data provisions within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Terrorism

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many charges brought against the individuals at, or awaiting, trial for terrorism-related offences referred to in the Report on the Operation in 2007 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and Part 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006, by Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, have since been dropped;
	(2)  how many charges brought for offences under anti-terrorism legislation committed in the United Kingdom, excluding Northern Ireland,  (a) between 11 September 2001 and 31 March 2007 and  (b) since 31 March 2007 have been dropped.

Vernon Coaker: We are unable to provide the information requested.
	The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Office are currently working with the National Coordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data relating to those arrested, charged, convicted and imprisoned under terrorist legislation and under other legislation but considered terrorist related. As soon as this is complete a Statistical Bulletin covering this information will be published by the Home Office.
	This Statistical Bulletin will include figures from 11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008 showing the number of people charged and convicted of terrorism related offences and the charge to conviction ratio. The remaining figure will therefore reflect those individuals not convicted whose case resulted in an alternative outcome. It is currently not possible to separately identify those individuals whose case has not been proceeded with, those acquitted and those at or awaiting trial.

Terrorism: Arrests

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those  (a) arrested and  (b) convicted in respect of (i) offences under the Terrorism Acts 2000 and 2006 and (ii) offences otherwise involving terrorism in each year since 2000 were foreign nationals; how many of them were (A) EU and (B) non-EU nationals; and what proportion of all terrorist offenders each category represents.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 10 November 2008
	We are unable to provide the information requested.
	The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Office are currently working with the National Coordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data relating to those arrested, charged, convicted and imprisoned under terrorist legislation and under other legislation but considered terrorist related. As soon as this is complete a Statistical Bulletin covering this information will be published by the Home Office.
	This Statistical Bulletin will provide a nationality breakdown of terrorist related prisoners, as at 31 March 2008, including individuals in prison either on remand and/or convicted, however, we are unable to provide this breakdown for all of those arrested.

Terrorism: Arrests

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days after arrest the evidence used to prosecute was available for all people convicted of offences under anti-terrorism legislation, who were held for more than 14 days before charge in the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 13 November 2008
	No one who has been held for more than 14 days has yet to be convicted although a number of cases are awaiting trial.

Terrorism: Criminal Proceedings

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many of the individuals at or awaiting trial for terrorism-related offences referred to in the Report on the Operation in 2007 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and Part 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006 by Lord Carlile of Berriew QC have been tried; and what the outcome was in each case where legal proceedings have been completed;
	(2)  how many of the charges brought for terrorism-related offences in the United Kingdom, excluding Northern Ireland, between 11 September 2001 and 31 March 2007 proceeded to trial; and what the outcome was in each case where legal proceedings have been completed;
	(3)  how many charges have been brought for offences under anti-terrorism legislation committed in the United Kingdom excluding Northern Ireland since 31st March 2007; how many such charges proceeded to trial; and what the outcome was in each case where legal proceedings have been completed.

Vernon Coaker: We are unable to provide the information requested.
	The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Office are currently working with the National Coordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data relating to those arrested, charged, convicted and imprisoned under terrorist legislation and under other legislation but considered terrorist related. As soon as this is complete a Statistical Bulletin covering this information will be published by the Home Office.
	This Statistical Bulletin will include figures from 11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008 showing the number of people charged and convicted of terrorism related offences and the charge to conviction ratio. The remaining figure will therefore reflect those individuals not convicted whose case resulted in an alternative outcome. It is currently not possible to separately identify those individuals whose case has not been proceeded with, those acquitted and those at or awaiting trial.

Theft: Sheep

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of measures it has taken to prevent sheep rustling in the last five years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 13 November 2008
	Sheep rustling is a crime and is covered under the Theft Act 1968. The Government's Crime Strategy has now moved away from centrally imposed targets toward making local agencies accountable and responsive to the needs and priorities of the local community. Where sheep rustling emerges as a pressing local issue there is a local framework in place for local police forces and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to devote resources to tackling this crime.
	The Home Office has recently presented a Tilley Award for innovation to a partnership between the police and industry in the Glens of Antrim, Northern Ireland, which tackled theft of sheep. This project used new technology to identify individual sheep through retinal scanning. It is reported that this has been very effective in the area in reducing the number of sheep stolen and assisting in successful prosecution. The Home Office has made no other assessment of sheep rustling.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Child Minders

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the supply of child minders of requiring them to be subject to inspection by Ofsted.

Beverley Hughes: Ofsted has been inspecting child minders since 2001. There is no evidence to suggest that Ofsted inspection has had any impact on the supply of child minders.
	Ofsted inspects all child care providers to ensure that they comply with current requirements. In the three years up to March 2008 97 per cent. of the 35,800 child minders inspected were found to be satisfactory or better with 61 per cent. judged good or outstanding.

School Standards

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take to support the programme by secondary school head teachers in Northamptonshire to raise educational standards in their schools.

Beverley Hughes: Standards in Northamptonshire have improved at key stage 4. Compared to 2007, the percentage of pupils achieving five good GCSEs has risen by 3.7 percentage points to 58.8 per cent. Taking account of English and mathematics, performance is up by three percentage points to 45.1 per cent.
	Discussions have taken place with Northamptonshire local authority to agree the level of support for each of their National Challenge schools. National Challenge Advisers will begin work with individual schools this month.

National Challenge Programme

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress is being made in schools within the national challenge programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Since the National Challenge was announced in June we have been working with local authorities to develop bespoke plans to secure improvement at individual school level. We have now agreed National Challenge funding for 48 local authorities amounting to over £20 million which my right hon. Friend announced last week and are working to agree funding for the remainder with schools in the National Challenge. The sum announced includes £549,000 for secondary schools in Bristol.

Post-16 Education

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what advice is provided to students at secondary school on post-16 education; and who provides this advice.

Jim Knight: We expect schools to provide young people with impartial advice on post-16 education that reflects the interests and needs of the individual. Young people also have access, from the age of 13, to local, independent external information, advice and guidance services delivered under the Connexions brand and to national, confidential online and telephone-based information and advice provided under the Connexions Direct brand.

Children's Trusts

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's assessment is of the changes in outcomes for children since the establishment of children's trusts.

Beverley Hughes: DCSF uses a range of evidence to assess children's outcomes, including the Every Child Matters outcomes framework. This contains 106 indicators, around half of which measure aspects of the quality of children's lives and the remaining half measure the quality of services provided to children. Key improvements over the period have been:
	The conception rate of 15 to 17-year-old girls fell from 43 per 1,000 in 2004 to 41 in 2006;
	Stability of care for looked after children has improved;
	The number of schools with less than 30 per cent. of pupils with five A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths fell from 1,100 in 2003 to 638 in 2007 and record levels of educational attainment;
	Increases in the number of five-year-olds achieving a good level of development as evidenced by 2008 foundation stage positive results, and reducing the gap between the 20 per cent. lowest achieving children and the rest.

Academies

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has for development of the academies programme.

Jim Knight: The Government are committed to continuing to develop the academies programme and establishing at least 400 academies nationwide. In addition to the 130 now open, four are projected to open in January 2009, up to 80 in September 2009 and up to a further 100 in 2010.

Youth Facilities

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding his Department plans to provide for youth facilities in Gateshead East and Washington, West constituency in the next three years.

Beverley Hughes: The Department has allocated a total of £1.7 million through the Youth Capital Fund (YCF) to Gateshead and Sunderland local authorities for investment in youth facilities over the period 2008-11. YCF gives young people control over funding decisions for new facilities in their area, which has a genuine influence on empowering young people, their participation in positive activities, as well as the quality of provision on offer. In addition, over the next three years, all local areas will have the opportunity to bid for, and benefit from, £190 million of Government capital investment through myplace. myplace is being delivered by the Big Lottery Fund, and will fund world class youth facilities n cross-sector partnership, driven by the active participation of young people and their views and needs, through individual grants of £1 to 5 million.

Bullying

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what additional measures he has considered to reduce the incidence of bullying in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: We have a comprehensive strategy in place. Our guidance, 'Safe To Learn', advises schools on tackling bullying related to ethnicity, sexuality, disability and cyberbullying. We are funding the Anti-Bullying Alliance and National Strategies to ensure this work is embedded in schools.
	Our future plans include developing our Peer Mentoring pilots, publishing guidance covering bullying outside school, bullying of school staff and bullying related to gender and gender identity, and re-launching our campaign against cyberbullying.

Contact Orders

Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to implement the provisions in Part 1 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 relating to new powers for the courts to order contact activities and new enforcement powers.

Beverley Hughes: The implementation of the remaining provisions in Part 1 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006, sections 1 to 5 and 8, relating to new powers for the courts to order contact activities and new enforcement powers were announced on 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 22WS. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice has made a written ministerial statement, outlining that the provisions will come into force on 8 December. The new arrangements will extend to England and Wales and have been agreed by Welsh Assembly Government Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas.

Primary Education: Per Capita Costs

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average funding per primary school pupil was in  (a) England and  (b) Somerset in (i) 1979-80 and (ii) 1996-97.

Jim Knight: The available information on the net institutional funding per nursery and primary pupils in 1996-97 are (a) £1,730 and (b) £1,644. The figures are in cash terms. There are no comparable figures available for 1979-80.

Schools: Discipline

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what programmes provide funding to schools to deal with  (a) behaviour and  (b) inclusion matters; and how much funding is available under each programme in 2008-09.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The main sources of funding for schools are Dedicated Schools Grant and School Development Grant. It is for schools to determine how much of these sources of funding they then spend on behaviour and inclusion, in the light of local priorities and schools' statutory duty to use their best endeavours to make the necessary provision for children with special educational needs.
	In addition, the Department maintains a small number of centrally funded programmes which impact on behaviour in schools. Many of these programmes aim to improve school attendance as well as behaviour and it is not possible to disaggregate what is spent on each element. The main such programmes are:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Behaviour and attendance central co-ordination(1) 13.9 
			 National Strategies targeted support in schools 5.4 
			 Social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) 10.6 
			 Tackling bullying in schools 3.1 
			 Alternative Provision pilots(2) 1.4 
			 Skillforce 0.9 
			 Day 6 provision for suitable full-time education for excluded pupils(3) 10.0 
			 A range of small programmes providing support for parents, and guidance on various aspects of school behaviour and attendance 1.8 
			   
			 Total 47.1 
			 (1) Standards Fund resources mainly to pay for local authority behaviour and attendance consultants (2) Children's Plan (3) £16 million of which £10 million is for schools and £6 million is for LAs included in the Dedicated Schools Grant.

Schools: Standards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government has taken to improve  (a) standards of cleaning in schools and  (b) the quality of classroom furniture.

Jim Knight: School cleanliness is the responsibility of the head teacher and governors and the local authority where they are the employer. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 Regulation 9 and the Approved Code of Practice on the regulations issued by the Health and Safety Executive cover cleanliness. More specifically "Toilets in Schools" a recent departmental document on Teachernet makes clear the importance of well designed and well maintained facilities so that pupils can and will make regular use of them. The Government have made a number of steps. The BSF Furniture and Equipment (F & E) brief aims to encourage schools and bidders to recognise the role furniture can play within the transformational agenda. As part of this aim, it will make clear the expectations for furniture such as the need for improved strength and stability criteria as set out in part 2 of the new European standard EN1729. It is also proposed to include the ergonomic requirements of EN1729 part 1. A 30-month research project the Department has recently commissioned into the accommodation implications of personalised learning will examine the role furniture can play in ensuring flexible layouts. The Department has also published a website which gives ergonomic dimensions for furniture in order that designers have the most up-to-date data from which to work on new designs. Quality of furniture in schools can often lie in making the right choices of furniture, the Department's website aims to ensure that schools buy appropriately sized furniture. Many of our design guides give details on purchasing quality furniture and how to ensure it is 'fit for purpose', one of the key indicators of quality.

Secondary Education: Admissions

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many unfilled secondary school places there were in  (a) Wellingborough constituency and  (b) England on the latest date for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department collects information annually from each local authority on the number of surplus places which exist within maintained schools, as part of the Surplus Places Survey. The most recent data available relate to the position as at January 2008.
	At January 2008 the number of unfilled school places in maintained secondary schools within Wellingborough constituency was 1,022 (13 per cent.) and the number of unfilled school places in maintained secondary schools in England as a whole was 299,538 (9 per cent.).

Young People: Alcoholic Drinks

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government have taken to reduce alcohol addiction amongst teenagers.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The proportion of teenagers who drink regularly is falling but those who do drink are drinking a lot more. Young people who drink too much not only put their own health at risk, but are more likely to get involved in antisocial behaviour and contribute to insecurity on our streets. The Youth Alcohol Action Plan, published in June, sets out a number of actions to address the problems of young people's alcohol consumption. We will provide clearer health information for parents and young people about how consumption of alcohol, particularly at an early age, can affect children and young people. This will include the chief medical officer's guidelines on safer drinking by young people and a comprehensive communications campaign aimed at 11 to 15 year-olds to be launched in spring 2009.
	In line with recommendations from an independent review of drug and alcohol education, Ministers announced on 30 October 2008 that Personal Health and Social Education (PHSE) would be made statutory subject. This would underline the key role PSHE has to play in young people's personal development.
	Very few young people are addicted to alcohol but we know that a small proportion of young people do drink too much which puts them at risk of harm. DCSF are working closely with the National Treatment Agency (NTA) to continue to improve the accessibility and quality of substance misuse treatment for young people (under 18), with the aim of ensuring that effective treatment is available for any young person with alcohol problems that needs it.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Official Engagements

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the official engagements were of each Minister in his Department in the period from 6 October to 31 October 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 11 November 2008
	 The following tables provide the details of official engagements for the period 6 October to 31 October 2008 attended by Ministers in his Department.
	
		
			  Minister: James Purnell, Secretary of State 
			  Official engagement  Date 
			 Speaking at the launch of the Social Market Foundation's Mental Health and Welfare Reform Project 8 October 2008 
			 Speaking at National Association of Pension Funds Conference 9 October 2008 
			 Speaking at Jobcentre Plus National Conference 9 October 2008 
			 Speaking at Acevo Lecture Series—Capturing Public Services for the Citizen 21 October 2008 
			 Speaking at Help the Aged Seminar on "Unequal Ageing" 21 October 2008 
			 Visit—Falkirk Child Support Agency Centre 23 October 2008 
			 Speaking at Welfare Reform Consultation Event 24 October 2008 
			 Visit—Glyndwr University 30 October 2008 
			 Visit—Rhyl Football Club 30 October 2008 
		
	
	
		
			  Minister: Tony McNulty, Minister of State Employment and Welfare Reform 
			  Official engagement  Date 
			 National Crime Reduction Board Meeting 9 October 2008 
			 Speech at Jobcentre Plus Conference 9 October 2008 
			 Consultation Event on Welfare Reform Drugs Strategy 13 October 2008 
			 Speech at End Child Poverty Parliamentary Reception 15 October 2008 
			 UK Drug Policy Commission Roundtable Event 21 October 2008 
			 Employers Roundtable Welfare Reform Consultation Event 22 October 2008 
			 Speech at Capita Conference—Neighbourhood Management 23 October 2008 
			 Speech at launch of AACS Prospectus 29 October 2008 
		
	
	
		
			  Minister: Rosie Winterton, Minister of State for Pensions and Aging Society 
			  Official engagement  Date 
			 Speech at NAPF conference 9 October 2008 
			 Speech at National Council on Ageing 9 October 2008 
			 Speech at ILC intergenerational Research Conference 9 October 2008 
			 Visit to Age Concern to celebrate 5th Anniversary of Pension Credit 13 October 2008 
			 Visit and speech at Derbyshire Older people Advisory group 17 October 2008 
			 Better Government for Older People event—- opening address 27 October 2008 
			 Opening of Unite Headquarters 20 October 2008 
		
	
	
		
			  Minister: Kitty Ussher, Parliamentary Under Secretary  
			  Official engagement  Date 
			 Financial Inclusion Task force 21 October 2008 
			 Social Housing and Worklessness 23 October 2008 
			 SMI 29 October 2008 
		
	
	
		
			  Minister: Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People 
			  Official engagement  Date 
			 Welfare Reform Green Paper Visit-Edinburgh International Conference Centre 9 October 2008 
			 RBLI 10 October 2008 
			 Welfare Reform Consultation—Mental Health, Westminster Mind 15 October 2008 
			 Dering Employment Services, 96 Park lane 21 October 2008 
			 University of Greenwich AT Medway 22 October 2008 
			 Disability and Paralympics Summit 30 October 2008 
		
	
	
		
			  Minister: Lord Bill McKenzie, Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Lords 
			  Official engagement  Date 
			 Social Market Foundation Mental Health Seminar 8 October 2008 
			 Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Awards 8 October 2008 
			 HSE Worker involvement in health and safety conference 14 October 2008 
			 Fit for Work Seminar, Workplace Potential Limited 15 October 2008 
			 In and out of work project launch 16 October 2008 
			 Quarry Product Association Annual Awards 18 October 2008 
			 Visit to RoSPA Learning about safety centre 18 October 2008 
			 HSE Working Together conference 20 October 2008 
			 Fitch Ratings Insurance Roadshow 23 October 2008 
			 Visit to Oil and Gas UK 24 October 2008 
			 GlaxoSmithKline Enterprise for Health conference 30 October 2008

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department and its agencies are members of the  (a) Classic,  (b) Classic Plus,  (c) Nuvos and  (d) Premium civil service pension schemes.

Jonathan R Shaw: The current numbers of Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies' staff who are members of the Principal Civil Service Pensions Scheme are as follows:
	
		
			  Scheme  Number  Percentage 
			  (a) Classic 84,010 72.78 
			  (b) Classic Plus 2,516 2.18 
			  (c) Nuvos 4,263 3.69 
			 ( d) Premium 21,017 18.21

Departmental Public Relations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on  (a) entertainment,  (b) advertising and promotion and  (c) public relations consultancy in 2007-08.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Work and Pensions has incurred expenditure in 2007-08 on the following individual areas:
	
		
			   £000 
			  (a) Entertainment 50 
			  (b) Advertising and promotion 9,179 
			  (c) Public relations consultancy 1,097 
			   
			 Total expenditure 10,326 
		
	
	All expenditure on entertainment, which falls within the classification 'Hospitality' is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Recruitment

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its Executive agencies spent on (i) recruitment consultants and (ii) external recruitment advertising to recruit staff in each of the last five financial years; which recruitment consultants were employed for those purposes in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Over a period of four years, April 2004 to March 2008, the Department for Work and Pensions has, on average, recruited 8,200 new employees per year. The bulk of the new employees are recruited by Jobcentre Plus on behalf of both itself and other parts of the Department. The Department during the same period recruited, on average, 75 new employees per year into either the senior civil service, or into specialist or professional roles. In respect of these recruitments, the Department operates a framework agreement under which five suppliers have been selected to provide recruitment consultancy services. The suppliers are Hays, Capita, Assessment and Development Ltd., PricewaterhouseCoopers and Water for Fish.
	The Department is also able to draw on a number of other suppliers from a framework agreement operated by the Cabinet Office for senior civil service recruitment. The suppliers in question are Rockpools, Moloney Search, Strategic Dimensions, Gatenby Sanderson, Egon Zehnder, Saxton Bampfylde Hever, Veredus, Hays, Penna, Whitehead Mann, Hoggart Bowers and Odgers Ray and Berndtson.
	The amount spent on recruitment consultants are given as follows. Information for 20003-04 and 2004-05 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 1,036,114 
			 2006-07 1,107,158 
			 2007-08 1,102,979 
		
	
	The aforementioned figures include the cost of recruitment advertising where that has been procured by the consultants concerned. Information on other recruitment advertising could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the initial traffic light status of each project in his Department and its agencies which has been the subject of a gateway review was.

Jonathan R Shaw: Gateway reports, including the findings and status, are conducted on a confidential basis for senior responsible owners (SROs). We do not make this information routinely public.

Departmental Telephone Services

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has considered changing its 084 telephone advice lines to 03 numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Our ambition is to provide our customers with straight forward and low cost access to our services, and our approach to the use of telephony numbers is based on that principle.
	We have considered whether it would be better for our customers to switch to the use of 03xx but we believe that the use of 0800 and 0845 continues to provide the solution which is, on balance, most advantageous to our customers as a whole.

Deprivation Indicators

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the index of deprivation is in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The following tables list the codes for the least and most deprived lower super output areas in the principal seaside towns in England, on the overall measure of multiple deprivation and across the seven domains of the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007. Information on deprivation in Welsh towns can be obtained from the Welsh Assembly Government Statistical Directorate.
	
		
			IMD  Income  Employment 
			Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived 
			  Town  LA name  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA 
			 Blackpool Blackpool E01012721 E01012718 E01012721 E01012717 E01012721 E01012717 
			 Bognor Regis Arun E01031456 E01031383 E01031429 E01031412 E01031456 E01031392 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth E01015282 E01015315 E01015282 E01015319 E01015282 E01015319 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire E01012948 E01013093 E01012946 E01013088 E01012944 E01013012 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove E01016947 E01016984 E01016865 E01016984 E01016942 E01016899 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor E01029106 E01029104 E01029106 E01029128 E01029112 E01029128 
			 Clacton Tendring E01021988 E01022005 E01021988 E01022013 E01021988 E01022013 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge E01020272 E01020239 E01020272 E01020242 E01020228 E01020242 
			 Deal Dover E01024240 E01024233 E01024240 E01024233 E01024199 E01024238 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne E01020912 E01020933 E01020923 E01020946 E01020911 E01020933 
			 Exmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019931 E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 
			 Falmouth Carrick E01018841 E01018848 E01018841 E01018816 E01018841 E01018827 
			 Folkestone/Hythe Shepway E01024504 E01024523 E01024507 E01024523 E01024506 E01024519 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth E01026625 E01026587 E01026625 E01026587 E01026625 E01026587 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings E01020972 E01020970 E01020972 E01020970 E01020972 E01020987 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon E01020112 E01020090 E01020103 E01020133 E01020112 E01020133 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight E01017332 E01017352 E01017345 E01017293 E01017336 E01017302 
			 Lowestoft Waveney E01030258 E01030284 E01030258 E01030288 E01030258 E01030292 
			 Minehead, West Somerset E01029344 E01029331 E01029344 E01029342 E01029344 E01029338 
			 Morecambe/Heysham Lancaster E01025110 E01025146 E01025156 E01025105 E01025110 E01025105 
			 Newquay Restormel E01019056 E01019017 E01019056 E01019017 E01019033 E01019016 
			 Penzance Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01018997 E01019011 
			 Scarborough Scarborough E01027806 E01027844 E01027874 E01027855 E01027847 E01027857 
			 Sidmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019931 E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 
			 Skegness East Lindsey E01026093 E01026063 E01026083 E01026063 E01026093 E01026061 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea E01015842 E01015908 E01015842 E01015914 E01015842 E01015830 
			 Southport Sefton E01007007 E01006985 E01007007 E01006991 E01007007 E01006985 
			 St. Ives East Dorset E01020393 E01020377 E01020393 E01020377 E01020394 E01020409 
			 St. Ives Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01018997 E01019011 
			 Swanage Purbeck E01020489 E01020470 E01020472 E01020470 E01020485 E01020470 
			 Thanet Thanet E01024678 E01024708 E01024678 E01024650 E01024678 E01024689 
			 Torbay Torbay E01015217 E01015208 E01015257 E01015208 E01015217 E01015251 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset E01014831 E01014798 E01014831 E01014793 E01014801 E01014791 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland E01020554 E01020558 E01020552 E01020559 E01020554 E01020558 
			 Whitby Scarborough E01027806 E01027844 E01027874 E01027855 E01027847 E01027857 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside E01008485 E01008523 E01008485 E01008563 E01008485 E01008548 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury E01024080 E01024056 E01024061 E01024051 E01024080 E01024051 
			 Worthing Worthing E01031819 E01031824 E01031819 E01031824 E01031811 E01031824 
		
	
	
		
			Health & Disability  Education, Skills & Training  Barriers to Housing & Services 
			Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived 
			  Town  LA name  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA 
			 Blackpool Blackpool E01012721 E01012718 E01012720 E01012722 E01012704 E01012725 
			 Bognor Regis Arun E01031456 E01031389 E01031429 E01031416 E01031392 E01031464 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth E01015282 E01015319 E01015313 E01015344 E01015370 E01015335 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire E01012948 E01013088 E01013002 E01013070 E01012981 E01012999 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove E01016942 E01016983 E01016915 E01017001 E01016899 E01016961 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor E01029132 E01029128 E01029106 E01029147 E01029147 E01029127 
			 Clacton Tendring E01022025 E01021978 E01021988 E01021987 E01021974 E01022035 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge E01020228 E01020194 E01020212 E01020274 E01020259 E01020265 
			 Deal Dover E01024215 E01024233 E01024240 E01024211 E01024249 E01024221 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne E01020920 E01020960 E01020923 E01020946 E01020958 E01020939 
			 Exmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 E01019938 E01019948 
			 Falmouth Carrick E01018841 E01018816 E01018841 E01018816 E01018850 E01018848 
			 Folkestone/Hythe Shepway E01024506 E01024490 E01024498 E01024523 E01024549 E01024512 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth E01026625 E01026587 E01026619 E01026611 E01026609 E01026639 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings E01020989 E01020970 E01020972 E01020970 E01020970 E01021013 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon E01020112 E01020127 E01020103 E01020128 E01020100 E01020105 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight E01017336 E01017351 E01017332 E01017316 E01017297 E01017344 
			 Lowestoft Waveney E01030258 E01030237 E01030277 E01030224 E01030285 E01030288 
			 Minehead, West Somerset E01029344 E01029338 E01029344 E01029335 E01029338 E01029332 
			 Morecambe/Heysham Lancaster E01025110 E01025105 E01025156 E01025103 E01025132 E01025098 
			 Newquay Restormel E01019041 E01019017 E01019055 E01019017 E01019060 E01019072 
			 Penzance Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01019006 E01018993 
			 Scarborough Scarborough E01027806 E01027814 E01027874 E01027855 E01027857 E01027871 
			 Sidmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 E01019938 E01019948 
			 Skegness East Lindsey E01026073 E01026098 E01026083 E01026119 E01026082 E01026054 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea E01015842 E01015908 E01015842 E01015908 E01015827 E01015910 
			 Southport Sefton E01007009 E01006985 E01007019 E01006974 E01007038 E01007102 
			 St. Ives East Dorset E01020393 E01020415 E01020393 E01020380 E01020396 E01020426 
			 St. Ives Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01019006 E01018993 
			 Swanage Purbeck E01020485 E01020470 E01020471 E01020470 E01020490 E01020492 
			 Thanet Thanet E01024676 E01024635 E01024682 E01024642 E01024703 E01024655 
			 Torbay Torbay E01015217 E01015208 E01015266 E01015271 E01015190 E01015211 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset E01014832 E01014850 E01014831 E01014766 E01014766 E01014816 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland E01020554 E01020560 E01020552 E01020558 E01020569 E01020588 
			 Whitby Scarborough E01027806 E01027814 E01027874 E01027855 E01027857 E01027871 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside E01008545 E01008546 E01008484 E01008563 E01008480 E01008546 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury E01024092 E01024056 E01024047 E01024131 E01024054 E01024115 
			 Worthing Worthing E01031790 E01031824 E01031819 E01031803 E01031832 E01031797 
		
	
	—continued
	
		
			Crime & Disorder  Living Environment 
			Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived 
			  Town  LA name  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA 
			 Blackpool Blackpool E01012736 E01012662 E01012673 E01012722 
			 Bognor Regis Arun E01031454 E01031458 E01031427 E01031383 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth E01015367 E01015315 E01015279 E01015315 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire E01013000 E01013122 E01012948 E01012939 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove E01016952 E01016998 E01016952 E01017008 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor E01029098 E01029103 E01029095 E01029115 
			 Clacton Tendring E01021988 E01022012 E01021988 E01022004 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge E01020269 E01020193 E01020224 E01020215 
			 Deal Dover E01024241 E01024213 E01024215 E01024256 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne E01020912 E01020948 E01020912 E01020926 
			 Exmouth East Devon E01019918 E01019897 E01019916 E01019905 
			 Falmouth Carrick E01018809 E01018827 E01018836 E01018813 
			 Folkestone/Hythe Shepway E01024504 E01024536 E01024504 E01024542 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth E01026626 E01026629 E01026626 E01026582 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings E01020979 E01020971 E01020984 E01020995 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon E01020113 E01020107 E01020112 E01020085 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight E01017336 E01017298 E01017340 E01017352 
			 Lowestoft Waveney E01030258 E01030245 E01030250 E01030239 
			 Minehead, West Somerset E01029330 E01029327 E01029338 E01029331 
			 Morecambe/Heysham Lancaster E01025139 E01025160 E01025117 E01025158 
			 Newquay Restormel E01019029 E01019045 E01019056 E01019018 
			 Penzance Penwith E01018999 E01018975 E01019012 E01018983 
			 Scarborough Scarborough E01027806 E01027834 E01027804 E01027855 
			 Sidmouth East Devon E01019918 E01019897 E01019916 E01019905 
			 Skegness East Lindsey E01026069 E01026098 E01026093 E01026085 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea E01015841 E01015866 E01015852 E01015885 
			 Southport Sefton E01007051 E01007093 E01007003 E01006991 
			 St. Ives East Dorset E01020392 E01020378 E01020396 E01020374 
			 St. Ives Penwith E01018999 E01018975 E01019012 E01018983 
			 Swanage Purbeck E01020472 E01020491 E01020490 E01020470 
			 Thanet Thanet E01024676 E01024644 E01024676 E01024637 
			 Torbay Torbay E01015267 E01015251 E01015231 E01015226 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset E01014801 E01014793 E01014802 E01014793 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland E01020554 E01020559 E01020554 E01020560 
			 Whitby Scarborough E01027806 E01027834 E01027804 E01027855 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside E01008584 E01008518 E01008572 E01008551 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury E01024080 E01024054 E01024080 E01024056 
			 Worthing Worthing E01031787 E01031804 E01031810 E01031820

Disability Living Allowance: Sight Impaired

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people with a visual impairment are receiving  (a) the lower rate and  (b) the higher rate of the mobility component of the disability living allowance;
	(2)  how many people with a visual impairment have received the  (a) lower rate and  (b) higher rate of the mobility component of the disability living allowance in the last 12 months.

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) blind and  (b) partially sighted people received the mobility component of disability living allowance (i) at the higher rate and (ii) at the lower rate in each year since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: It is not possible to breakdown the available data into blind and partially sighted people.
	The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Disability Living Allowance claimants with a main disabling condition of blindness: Great Britain 
			  As at February each year  Higher rate mobility component  Lower rate mobility component 
			 2008 7,800 58,000 
			 2007 7,600 56,600 
			 2006 7,500 55,000 
			 2005 7,300 54,200 
			 2004 7,500 52,700 
			 2003 7,600 51,200 
			 2002 7,000 50,300 
			 2001 6,200 48,900 
			 2000 6,000 47,500 
			 1999 6,100 45,600 
			 1998 5,900 43,800 
			 1997 5,800 41,400 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Where the claimant is eligible for both care and mobility components, the disabling condition associated with the mobility component is shown here. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. 4. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to Disability Living Allowance. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are collected only for administrative purposes. 5. Caseload figures are given as at February for each year. 6. Figures are published on the Nomis website at www.nomisweb.co.uk.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample. Although the preferred data source for benefit statistics is 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, the 5 per cent. sample data has been used in this case because it provides some detail not yet available from the 100 per cent. data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of Disability Living Allowance claimants.

Disability Living Allowance: Sight Impaired

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) blind and  (b) partially sighted people living in Southend West constituency received the mobility component of disability living allowance (i) at the higher rate and (ii) at the lower rate (A) in each year since 1997 and (B) at the latest date for which information is available.

Jonathan R Shaw: It is not possible to breakdown the available data into blind and partially sighted people.
	The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance claimants with a main disabling condition of blindness by mobility component: Southend West parliamentary constituency 
			  Year ending  Higher rate mobility component  Lower rate mobility component 
			 February 2008 — 60 
			 February 2007 — 60 
			 February 2006 — 60 
			 February 2005 — 60 
			 February 2004 — 70 
			 February 2003 — 70 
			 May 2002 — 50 
			 '—' = Nil or negligible  Notes: 1. Although the 5 per cent. sample data would normally be used to produce tables on DLA disabling condition as it contains more complete information on disabling condition, in this case the 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study has been used. This is because for a small subset of the caseload such as those with one specific disabling condition in one parliamentary constituency, the sampling variation associated with figures produced from the 5 per cent. sample data would be such as to make the results unreliable. 2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures are only available from 2002. 4. Figures show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 5. Where the claimant is eligible for both care and mobility components, the disabling condition associated with the mobility component is shown here. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. 6. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to disability living allowance. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. 7. Figures are published on the Nomis website at www.nomisweb.co.uk.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Disability Living Allowance: Sight Impaired

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will review the adequacy of the eligibility criteria for the mobility component of the disability living allowance with regard to people with visual impairments;
	(2)  what factors were taken into account by his Department when it was decided not to provide £30 million of funding to allow visually impaired people to claim the higher rate of mobility component of the disability living allowance.

Jonathan R Shaw: All Government spending is subject to competing priorities. We have had very constructive discussions with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and others on their proposal that we extend the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance to children and working age people with severe visual impairments. We understand the need to look at this important change to the arrangements for the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance. I look forward to working with RNIB to see how we could take this forward.

Employee Assistance Programme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of his Department's Employee Assistance Programme has been in each year since its inception; and how much has been spent on  (a) central administration of the programme,  (b) counsellors delivering the programme and  (c) services supplied by accredited counsellors not employed directly by his Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Employee Assistance programme is a wide-ranging service designed to provide advice, guidance and support on a range of issues. This includes counselling.
	The Department for Work and Pensions does not employ any counsellors. All counsellors delivering the programme are employed by the contractor. All their costs are included in the figures in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Contract year  Annual EAP costs  Central administration costs 
			 July 2005 to June 2006 2,770,561 28,054 
			 July 2006 to June 2007 2,723,682 28,929 
			 July 2007 to June 2008 2,488,235 29,656

Employee Assistance Programme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many face to face meetings his Department's Employee Assistance Programme has had in each year since its inception; with how many departmental staff; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is as follows
	
		
			  July to June each year  Number of staff to receive face to face counselling  Number of meetings undertaken 
			 2005-06 3,234 17,198 
			 2006-07 3,323 18,445 
			 2007-08 3,495 19,725

Employee Assistance Programme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many requests for services provided by his Department's Employee Assistance Programme were received  (a) in total,  (b) from jobcentre plus staff and  (c) from each non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The current Employee Assistance Programme contract was awarded in July 2005. Information prior to that date could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Non-departmental bodies public( 1) 
			  July to June each year  DWP total  Jobcentre Plus  Health and Safety Executive  The Pensions Regulator  The Pension Protection Fund 
			 2005-06 6,924 4,467 (2)0 (2)0 (2)0 
			 2006-07 5,148 3,344 104 5 0 
			 2007-08 5,192 3,463 137 8 2 
			 Total 17,301 11,274 241 13 2 
			 (1) These are the only non-departmental public bodies within the Department's responsibility covered by the Employee Assistance Programme contract (2) Not covered by the contract in 2005-06

Employee Assistance Programme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the reasons for staff requests for services offered by his Department's Employee Assistance Programme are recorded.

Jonathan R Shaw: All reasons for requests for services are recorded and reported in anonymous form to the Department's contract management team by the Employee Assistance Programme.

Employment and Support Allowance

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many medical practitioners have received training for the examination of claimants of employment and support allowance.

Jonathan R Shaw: Atos Healthcare employs health care professionals to carry out medical examinations as part of the work capability assessment element of employment and support allowance. As of week ending 7 November 2008, there are one 123 health care professionals fully trained for the examination of claimants of employment and support allowance with others at various stages of their training programmes.

Employment and Support Allowance

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department expects to issue guidance to medical practitioners in relation to examinations of claimants of employment and support allowance.

Jonathan R Shaw: Health care professionals employed by Atos Healthcare carry out examinations on employment and support allowance customers from 27 October 2008. Guidance relating to examination of claimants of employment and support allowance has been issued to Atos health care professionals from 3 October 2008.
	We have also undertaken a range of communication activities to ensure other health care professionals are aware of employment and support allowance and the new processes. These include direct mail to GPs, articles in various professional editorials, employment and support allowance web page and sponsored web links.

Employment Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the demand for work-focused interviews in each of the next 12 months in each Jobcentre Plus  (a) district and  (b) region, broken down by benefit claimed.

Tony McNulty: No such estimate has been made.

Employment: Disabled

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) is planning to take to develop a cross-governmental national strategy on employment retention for disabled people, as set out in the Independent Living Strategy document; and which departments are involved in its production.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP along with the Office for Disability Issues will lead the development of a cross-government national strategy aimed at enabling people to remain in employment when they acquire an impairment or long-term health condition, or when an existing impairment or condition worsens/fluctuates. The Independent Living Strategy sets out a timetable of 2008-10 for the development of the strategy. Work to take this commitment forward will start in the new year.

Flexible New Deal

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the future budget for Flexible New Deal in the event of future increases in unemployment.

Tony McNulty: The Department for Work and Pensions published its CSR2007 three-year plan in February 2008. Copies are available in the Library. Any adjustments to that plan including, for example, potential future increases in unemployment are the subject of ongoing discussion between Department for Work and Pensions and Treasury Ministers.
	The Department has been planning for the impact of higher levels of jobseeker's allowance claims in the coming months and is developing plans right across its areas of responsibility to assess and manage the impact of an economic downturn.

Housing Benefit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidelines his Department has issued on direct payment of housing benefit to landlords in respect of claimants who are  (a) mentally ill and  (b) vulnerable; and what measures are in place to monitor the standards of accommodation offered in such cases.

Kitty Ussher: For information about the direct payment of housing benefit, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the right hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) on 28 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 861-62W.
	Information about standards of accommodation provided by local authorities is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2008,  Official Report, column 911W, on housing benefit, how many days on average each of the 10 local authorities which took the  (a) most and  (b) least time to process new housing benefit claims in 2007-08 took.

Kitty Ussher: The available information is in the following tables:
	
		
			  Average time taken in calendar days to process new claims for housing benefit in 2007-08, 10 local authorities taking least time 
			  Local authority  Days 
			 St. Albans 5 
			 South Norfolk 11 
			 Maidstone 11 
			 Crawley 12 
			 Tendring 14 
			 South Lanarkshire 14 
			 Fenland 14 
			 Sedgemoor 14 
			 Chiltern 15 
			 Cannock Chase 15 
		
	
	
		
			  Average time taken in calendar days to process new claims for housing benefit in 2007-08, 10 local authorities taking most time 
			  Local authority  Days 
			 Weymouth and Portland 41 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 42 
			 Hounslow 44 
			 Blyth Valley 44 
			 Blackpool 44 
			 Ealing 45 
			 East Devon 48 
			 Rother 49 
			 Luton 62 
			 Isle of Anglesey 74 
			  Note:  Claim processing performance data are supplied to DWP by local authorities and are un-audited. Where no data have been received for a particular quarter the average annual performance has been estimated from available data.

Incapacity Benefit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the socio-economic background of those on incapacity benefit who are  (a) actively seeking work and  (b) not actively seeking work in the principal seaside towns in comparison to those such groups (i) nationally and (ii) locally; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: It would not be possible to make such an assessment as information on those on incapacity benefit who are, and who are not, actively seeking work is not available.

Incapacity Benefit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the average level of educational qualification of  (a) incapacity benefit claimants and  (b) the long-term unemployed resident in the principal seaside towns in England and Wales in comparison to such claimants (i) nationally and (ii) in neighbouring communities; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on the average qualifications of incapacity benefit claimants and the long-term unemployed is not available.

Incapacity Benefit: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people on incapacity benefit who have recently moved into the principal seaside towns; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: No such estimate has been made.

Income Support: Mortgages

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what interest rate he assumes in determining assistance to mortgage holders receiving income support; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: From December 2004, the standard interest rate used to calculate support for mortgage interest payments in income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance and state pension credit was changed to respond to changes in the Bank of England base rate. The standard interest rate is the Bank of England base rate plus an additional 1.58 per cent. This is more representative, transparent, easier to understand and easier to administer than the previous method, which was based upon an average of building society interest rates. The additional 1.58 per cent. recognises the fact that lenders' interest rates are set at a higher rate than the base rate and to ensure that no-one lost out when the method of calculation changed.
	As with all parts of the benefits system, we keep this under review.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if, following the recent consultation in relation to the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme, he will consider the merits of holding a further consultation on the new scheme relating to lump sum payments for those suffering from mesothelioma resulting from exposure to asbestos at work;
	(2)  what conclusions have been drawn from the recent consultation on the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme, on the merits of an extension of the period within which claims must be made after injury occurs in the light of the long gestation periods of some work-related illnesses such as mesothelioma;
	(3)  what conclusions have been drawn from the recent consultation on the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme with regard to benefits being awarded to those individuals who have retired from work or moved onto new employment and who later suffer disability as a result of injury at work;
	(4)  what conclusions have been drawn from the recent consultation on the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme in relation to those suffering from mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos at work.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 16 October 2008
	We have asked questions about the possible reform of the current Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme, which includes those suffering from mesothelioma, in the consultation document, "No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility" Cm7363. The consultation exercise ends on 22 October 2008. When the consultation has ended we will carefully consider the views that people have expressed before publishing a summary of the responses and our response.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed jobseeker's allowance for a period of  (a) between six and 12 months,  (b) between 12 and 24 months and (c) more than 24 months in each month in each of the last three years, broken down by the smallest geographical area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Disqualification

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming jobseeker's allowance were sanctioned in each of the last 60 months; and for what reasons.

Tony McNulty: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Employment

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants have been  (a) referred and  (b) sanctioned for not accepting a reasonable job offer in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 September 2008
	 The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Percentage of varied length jobseeker's allowance referrals, sanctioned for refusal of employment—1 April 2003 to 31 March 2008 as a proportion of all jobseeker's allowance claims 
			  Percentage 
			   Refusal of employment 
			  Year ending  (April to March)  Referrals  Varied sanctions 
			 2003-04 2.0 0.7 
			 2004-05 1.8 0.6 
			 2005-06 1.1 0.4 
			 2006-07 0.4 0.2 
			 2007-08 0.8 0.4 
			  Note: Individuals may have had more than one referral or more than one sanction applied against them and therefore be counted more than once, similarly individuals can have more than one jobseeker's allowance claim during the year.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Jobseeker's Allowance Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database. 
		
	
	During the period in question, the decline in decisions to apply sanctions for refusing employment coincides with an increase in decisions to apply sanctions to those who have either not done enough to find work or who are unreasonably restricting their availability for work.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to simplify the application form for pensioners wishing to claim pension credit;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to simplify the application  (a) form and  (b) process for (i) pension credit and (ii) other benefits to which pensioners are entitled; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The pension credit application process has been simplified to make it easier to apply. Customers no longer need to sign and return their pension credit forms as applications can be made entirely over the telephone.
	A further simplification has been introduced this November which enables claims to housing benefit and council tax benefit to be made over the telephone with the pension credit application and forwarded directly to the local authority without the need for a signature.
	On completion of the application, customers are issued with a statement of details informing them of all the details used by the Pension, Disability and Carers Service in processing the application.
	In February 2007 an additional question was introduced into the pension credit application process to identify customers with caring responsibilities which results in the customer being invited, where appropriate, to claim carer's allowance using a new, shortened, claim pack specifically designed for people of pension age.
	These changes represent a significant improvement to the claim process and will enhance the overall customer experience for thousands of pensioners.
	While the new method of applying by telephone is being promoted, customers can still request a clerical pension credit application form if they wish and will be sent an application pack. However, by answering a few simple questions, the application form can now be tailored to match their personal circumstances and will contain only the relevant questions to complete. Customer letters are also now available in Welsh and/or large print formats and are issued automatically, ensuring the customer receives the same speed of service as a customer requesting an English language standard print letter.
	A number of partnership organisations such as Age Concern, North East Pensioners Association (NEPA) and Better Government for Older People (BGOP) were involved in the redesign process and provided input into the final products which were subject to scrutiny by the Social Security Advisory Committee.
	The Pension, Disability and Carers Service continues to promote the take up of all pensioner benefits, entitlements and services through a range of marketing activities. Campaign activity in 2008-09 to promote the take up of pension credit has utilised direct mail, local partnership activity and regional radio, press and outdoor advertising.

Powers of Entry

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many powers of entry have been  (a) introduced and  (b) abolished through legislation sponsored by his Department since 1997.

Tony McNulty: Since 1997, the Department for Work and Pensions has introduced five powers of entry. Since 1997, it has abolished two powers of entry.
	The five powers of entry created are as follows:
	(i) Social Security Administration Act 1992, s.109C (inserted by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000, s.67);
	(ii) Social Security Administration Act 1992, s.121A (inserted by Social Security Act 1998, came into force 1999);
	(iii) Child Support Act 1991, s.15(4) (inserted by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000, s.14, came into force 31 January 2001);
	(iv) Pensions Act 2004, s.73, and
	(v) Pensions Act 2004, s.192.
	The two powers of entry abolished were:
	(i) Pensions Act 1995, s.99, and
	(ii) the provisions of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 which were repealed when s.109C of that same Act (see point (i) of the powers created, above) came into force.

Social Security Benefits: EC Enlargement

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2008,  Official Report, column 431W, on welfare state: EU enlargement, what progress has been made on the review of EEA nationals' access to benefits; and when he expects the report to be published.

Jonathan R Shaw: The review of EEA nationals' access to benefits has been completed and the results are currently being considered. We expect to announce our conclusions in the new year.

Social Security Benefits: Economic Situation

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely change in his Department's expenditure in the next 12 months on benefits paid to families resulting from the economic downturn; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We have been planning for the impact of higher levels of jobseeker's allowance claims in the coming months, but do not forecast the future level of unemployment. The published benefit forecasts use the Treasury's budget planning assumption for claimant unemployment. Benefit forecasts include benefits going to families, but only explicitly identify families where this is a relevant factor in determining the amount of benefit payable.
	New forecasts taking into account recent economic developments will be published at the pre-Budget report (PBR).

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people called the Benefit Fraud hotline in each of the last 12 months; how many of those calls were followed up with an investigation; and how many successful prosecutions for benefit fraud there have been over the same period.

Tony McNulty: Every call to the National Benefit Fraud Hotline is examined by the Department. Where there is enough evidence the case is then passed to either the fraud Investigation Service for investigation or to our compliance teams in Jobcentres, who will scrutinise the relevant benefit claim and make adjustments to entitlements. Prosecutions take on average around nine months from investigation to the court case so many of the referrals this year are still under investigation with a view to determining whether a prosecution is in the public interest.
	Available information is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Month  Number of calls to National Benefit Fraud Hotline  Referred to FIS (Intelligence) for further development  Referred for criminal investigation  Referred for customer compliance investigation 
			 November 2007 23,364 2,648 5,455 3,083 
			 December 2007 10,948 3,394 1,711 3,985 
			 January 2008 26,516 4,553 2,630 5,238 
			 February 2008 21,236 3,334 2,843 6,517 
			 March 2008 18,890 973 2,250 6,114 
			 April 2008 18,482 4,764 3,613 5,659 
			 May 2008 21,346 6,974 3,085 5,683 
			 June 2008 18,737 7,678 3,037 5,366 
			 July 2008 24,935 9,142 3,746 6,536 
			 August 2008 17,400 8,095 3,101 5,289 
			 September 2008 18,709 4,995 3,220 5,141 
			 October 2008 21,884 7,179 3,827 4,392 
			  Notes: 1. Count for number of investigations includes both FIBS and FRAIMS data as final roll out was in February 2008. 2. Number of investigations is generated from the number of referrals/incidents accepted for investigation (those which result in a case being opened) 3. Figures represent GB only (do not include NI).  Source: FIBS and FRAIMS

Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether the provision of additional flexibilities in the Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 for those lone parents who face circumstances that need special consideration will include those who home educate out of necessity rather than choice;
	(2)  what provision has been made in the Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008 for those lone parents who home educate their children out of necessity rather than choice; what estimate he has made of the number of children who are home educated out of  (a) necessity and  (b) choice; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The proposed Regulation changes will not apply to lone parents who: are in receipt of Carer's Allowance; have a child for whom they are receiving the middle or higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance; foster children. These lone parents will be exempt and continue to be eligible for Income Support.
	Lone parents in these circumstances who are also home educators are included in this group. Those lone parents who do not qualify for exemption and are capable of work will have to claim Jobseeker's Allowance, where they will be required to actively seek and be available for work of at least 16 hours a week.
	However, it is recognised that lone parents who home educate may face unique and varied circumstances. Therefore we are ensuring that Jobcentre Plus Personal Advisers will have the appropriate training and guidance to deal with home educators when they make a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance. This will include making use of the proposed additional flexibilities to the Jobseeker's Allowance regime where the individual circumstances of home educators make this necessary. In addition home educators, like all other lone parents, will not be penalised if they have good cause for not taking up a job and the availability and suitability of childcare will be central to such a decision.
	As there is no requirement for parents to register as home educators there are no official statistics on the number of children who are being home educated. Therefore, it is not possible to provide any breakdown of lone parents who home educate whether through necessity or choice. Research carried out by York Consulting in 2006 estimated that around 20,000 children from all types of families were then registered with their local authority as being educated at home. We recognise that the figure could be substantially higher.

Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of Jobcentre Plus's capacity to implement the reforms outlined in the Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We have made a comprehensive assessment of Jobcentre Plus's capacity to implement the changes and are satisfied that the plans Jobcentre Plus has in place will enable the organisation to manage the change. Plans include: additional resources to manage the move of lone parents from Income Support on to other benefits; supporting lone parents in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance; communicating with staff; and learning and development for staff.

Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what procedures he has put in place to ensure Jobcentre Plus considers individual circumstances on a case by case basis, with particular reference to cases of lone parents seeking special consideration under the Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008.

Tony McNulty: Lone parents impacted by these changes will be invited to an interview, six weeks before they are due to lose their income support, where they will be provided with specific advice and support to move into work or claim another benefit. Those who subsequently claim jobseekers allowance will have a further meeting with an adviser to agree a Jobseekers Agreement, which sets out the sort of work they will look for, their hours of availability and when they need to attend the Jobcentre to confirm they have been available for and actively seeking work. At this meeting the individual circumstances of each lone parent will be considered. Those who claim employment and support allowance will have a series of six work-focused interviews to help them focus on what work they are able to do.

Unemployed

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) incapacity benefit claimants and  (b) long-term unemployed who are actively seeking work; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on the number of incapacity benefit claimants who are actively seeking work is not available.
	It is a requirement for all claimants of jobseeker's allowance to be available for and actively seeking work.
	At October 2008, 96,160 people had been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for over 52 weeks.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer Question 228496, on carers, tabled on 15 October 2008.

James Purnell: holding answer 13 November 2008
	 I replied to the hon. Member's question on 12 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1254W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Finance

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average income was of farms in  (a) Ribble Valley,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 13 November 2008
	Farm income figures are not available for the Ribble Valley. The following table shows average farm business income per farm in (a) Lancashire and (b) England for 2003-04 to 2007-08, the years for which it can be calculated. To provide a longer time series the earlier income measure of net farm income, which adjusts all farms to a tenanted basis, is shown for the last 10 years.
	
		
			  £/farm 
			   Average net farm income  Average farm business income 
			  March/February  years  Lancashire  England  Lancashire  England 
			 1998-99 8,600 8,600 n/a n/a 
			 1999-2000 6,600 6,600 n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 18,600 18,600 n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 23,600 23,600 n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 19,800 19,800 n/a n/a 
			 2003-04 25,500 25,500 30,500 36,800 
			 2004-05 15,500 15,500 24,000 28,300 
			 2005-06 13,900 13,900 21,200 28,600 
			 2006-07 20,100 20,100 28,500 34,400 
			 2007-08 27,700 27,700 35,200 48,100 
			  Source: Farm Business Survey 
		
	
	Net farm income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and on the tenant type capital of the business.
	Farm business income represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, directors(1), non-principal partners and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings.
	(1) Paid directors are treated in the same way as unpaid labour, i.e. their wages are not deducted in the derivation of FBI.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) lowest,  (b) highest,  (c) median and  (d) mean time taken to process claims made under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme was.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 10 November 2008
	While some preliminary checks on claims under the Single Payments Scheme (SPS) can be completed in advance, the full range of processing checks can only be undertaken once all applications have been received following the closure of the SPS application window on 9 June. The regulatory payment window then opens on 1 December and during 2007 RPA made the first payments to farmers on 10th December. This period between 9 June and 10 December therefore represents the shortest period within which applications were processed to completion during the 2007 SPS scheme year.
	Each SPS case is individual and validated as soon as possible. Some will take longer than others, for example if they involve businesses that transfer land and entitlements every year, or have energy crops which require confirmation of processing before payment can be made, and which may not become available until February or March. There are still a number of 2007 payments outstanding for legal reasons, predominantly involving the settlement of probate.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) lowest,  (b) highest,  (c) median and  (d) mean monetary value of claims under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme was.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 10 November 2008
	The lowest, highest, median and mean values of the 2007 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) Payments are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Lowest 0.01 
			 Highest 2,191,054.026 
			 Median 4,593.99 
			 Mean 13,920.94 
		
	
	The lowest value is a result of a non compliance penalty.
	These figures are subject to change as we still continue to make 2007 SPS payments.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single farm payment claims under 250 euros he expects to receive in respect of the years  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009,  (c) 2010,  (d) 2011 and  (e) 2012.

Jane Kennedy: The number of single payment scheme (SPS) claims under 250 euros for the SPS years 2008 to 2012 will depend on the number of claims submitted and fully validated within that payment category.

Animal Welfare: Codes of Practice

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on the consultation process on new codes of practice on the welfare of  (a) cats,  (b) dogs and  (c) equines.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 11 November 2008
	The total cost of DEFRA's consultation exercise on the three codes of practice is estimated to be in the region of £10,000. This covers pay and administration costs.
	The consultation runs until 31 December 2008 and comments on the draft codes are invited.

Animal Welfare: Codes of Practice

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on research for the consultation on  (a) The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats,  (b) The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs and  (c) The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Equines.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 11 November 2008
	No 'research' as such was done. The draft codes were prepared drawing on contributions from representatives of non-government organisations and others.

Badgers

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many badger re-location licences have been  (a) granted and  (b) rejected by each of his Department's offices in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: In England, Natural England delivers licensing under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.
	There have been no licences issued by Natural England to re-locate badgers in the last three years.
	Although some applicants choose to specify what action they wish to take in their licence application, the actual licensed action is often different following careful discussion with Natural England of the circumstances of the case and the available management options. For this reason, statistical records relating to the applicants' initial proposed solutions are not kept.

Bats: Rabies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the existence of rabies in the live bat population; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: European bat lyssaviruses (EBLVs) 1 and 2, commonly referred to as bat rabies, are two strains of rabies-related lyssaviruses found in bats across northern Europe. Since 1986 DEFRA has tested over 9,000 dead bats for EBLV and to date only eight infections with EBLV type 2 have been confirmed in bats in the UK.
	Combined data from studies undertaken in 2003-2006, indicate that the overall prevalence of antibodies to EBLV-2 in Daubenton's bats in England is estimated to be about 2 per cent. The presence of antibodies indicates that they have been exposed to the rabies virus at some time during their lives.

Batteries: Recycling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tons of batteries were recycled in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: Detailed information is not held centrally. As estimated from the impact assessment (carried out in 2007 as part of the consultation exercise for the transposition of the Batteries Directive) 900 tonnes of portable batteries are recycled. There are no figures available with regard to portable batteries for preceding years.
	In terms of automotive and industrial batteries, estimates are that 150,000 tonnes are recycled annually.

Bees: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to licensing alternative treatments of the varroa mite available in the European Union.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 11 November 2008
	Veterinary surgeons currently have the authority to import and administer veterinary medicines which are authorised in another member state under the prescribing cascade. In addition, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) within DEFRA has proposed a change to the EU regulations on the cascade to allow nationally qualified bee experts to decide on the use of medicines in bees, in place of veterinarians.
	In the meantime, the VMD has allowed a product authorised elsewhere in the EU to control varroosis to be imported and used in the UK under the VMD's Special Import Scheme. VMD has also contacted the French authorities to establish if a mutual recognition procedure could be applied so that this product could be quickly authorised in the UK.
	The VMD have negotiated with a manufacturer to agree an extension to their application to authorise a bee product for the control of varroa in other member states to include the UK.

Bees: Diseases

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of bee colonies lost in winter 2007-08 to the varroa mite and its associated virus.

Jane Kennedy: No such estimate into the losses directly attributable to the varroa mite or the viruses associated with it has been made. However, investigations into colony losses show these are mainly attributable to the poor weather, especially during last summer. This is accompanied by poor husbandry, which often includes to failure to feed bees when they lack nutrition and failure to take appropriate action against the varroa mite.

Bees: Research

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government have spent on research into bee health in each of the last five years; and what plans he has for expenditure on such research in future years.

Jane Kennedy: The following list shows the funding allocated by DEFRA for honey bee health research. This includes funding for specific honey bee health projects and elements of other funded research which benefits honey bee health.
	
		
			  £000 
			 2003-04 273.1 
			 2004-05 282.1 
			 2005-06 254.4 
			 2006-07 302.5 
			 2007-08 321.2 
		
	
	Future research priorities are addressed in the draft Bee Health Strategy which is expected to be published early in 2009. Commissioned research will be considered in the light of priorities identified in the agreed strategy and the recommendations made by the NAO following its study into the work of DEFRA in safeguarding the health of honey bees.

Bees: Research

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of research undertaken into bee health by Brenda Ball and others at Rothamsted Research Institute; and what steps he is taking to enable this research to continue.

Jane Kennedy: Results of completed research projects undertaken by Rothamsted Research have regularly been published in scientific literature and articles associated with that work may have helped increase beekeeper awareness of bee health issues.
	Future research priorities are addressed in the draft Bee Health Strategy which is expected to be published early in 2009. Commissioned research will be considered in the light of priorities identified in the agreed strategy and the recommendations made by the National Audit Office following its study into the work of DEFRA in safeguarding the health of honey bees.

Bees: Research

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of his consultation on his Department's draft bee health strategy; and when he will announce policy decisions following the consultation.

Jane Kennedy: The consultation on the draft bee health strategy closed on 29 August 2008.
	The National Audit Office (NAO) are carrying out a study into the work of DEFRA in safeguarding the health of honey bees and their report is expected to be published in January. DEFRA's response to the Strategy consultation will need to take into consideration any recommendations from the NAO.

Bluetongue Disease

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk of the BTV1 strain of bluetongue reaching the UK from France; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: France has confirmed 3,408 cases of BTV-1 during 2008. These cases are predominantly contained within the BTV-1 and 8 restricted zone in south-west France. The first case in northern France (Brittany) was confirmed on 28 October 2008 and the departments of Finistère and Morbihan in the Brittany region were subsequently declared as a further restricted zone for BTV-1 and 8.
	DEFRA remains alert to the spread of BTV-1 through France and monitors the risk carefully. In addition to the movement controls on animals from BTV-1 zones on the continent, implemented under EU legislation, DEFRA continues to conduct post-import tests on all animals imported from any area in continental Europe, for all Bluetongue serotypes. This means that all types of Bluetongue can be detected through routine testing.
	DEFRA has an agreed policy for controlling incursions of any new serotypes under the existing Bluetongue control strategy, published last year, and are working with experts and vaccine manufacturers to review preparedness for incursions of any serotype of Bluetongue.
	DEFRA also continues to urge the livestock industry to consider the risks and check the health and vaccination status of animals when sourcing any animals, from within the UK or abroad.

Bluetongue Disease

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of livestock have been vaccinated against bluetongue in  (a) East Anglia,  (b) the South West and  (c) the North of England.

Jane Kennedy: Vaccination against bluetongue in England and Wales is voluntary. Vaccine is delivered through existing veterinary medicine supply chains, an approach agreed with the livestock industry to ensure the simple, rapid roll-out of vaccine to protect animals earlier this year. Because the approach to vaccination is voluntary, no definitive figures can be provided on the numbers of livestock actually vaccinated.
	Vaccine was rolled out incrementally as it became available from the manufacturers in 2008, beginning with the south-east in May, and gradually westward and northward throughout the summer, until vaccine was available to the counties in northern England in September.
	However, to date, sales data from the supply chain suggest the overall uptake of vaccine across the whole of England is around 60 per cent. Sales data indicate that uptake in  (a) East Anglia may be in the region of 80 per cent. or above,  (b) in the south-west may be slightly lower than this, and  (c) in the north of England may be less than 40 per cent.

Bluetongue Disease

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many unused doses of bluetongue vaccine there are in England; and what their value is.

Jane Kennedy: Out of 28 million doses purchased by DEFRA, approximately 12 million doses of Bluetongue serotype 8 vaccine remain in the supply chain (i.e. are not yet sold to veterinary practices). The value of this unsold vaccine is approximately £5,011,713.
	DEFRA are working with the farming industry and supply chain to plan for the use of existing stocks of vaccine to vaccinate animals ahead of the 2009 risk period.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the decision to set up the Bovine TB Eradication Group was taken; and when the group's title was agreed.

Jane Kennedy: The Secretary of State made clear in July that he wanted to put in place arrangements to enable Government and industry to work together to make progress on bovine TB in cattle in England. The Bovine TB Eradication Group, which was announced on 3 November, will do just that.
	The remit of the group was developed with the English cattle industry and the group's title was finalised during October.

Coastal Areas: Environment Protection

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what sea defence projects have been deferred for more than 12 months in the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Paice) on 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 614W.

Compost: Fees and Charges

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the consultation on revised waste exemptions from environmental permitting, whether charities will be charged to have permits for compost heaps.

Jane Kennedy: Charities operating composting plants must currently either do so under an environmental permit or an exemption from the need for a permit registered with the Environment Agency.
	All operators of permitted operations are subject to fees and charges.
	No decisions have yet been made on whether to introduce charging for some or all registered exempt waste operations. The Government have no intention of allowing changes that might discourage composting activity, by charities, schools or any other organisations.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of employees in his Department  (a) are on a flexible working contract,  (b) are on a job share employment contract and  (c) work from home for more than four hours per week.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has in place a process to allow employees to apply to work flexibly in line with recent legislation. Flexible working incorporates a wide variety of working patterns and includes:
	part-time working;
	job-sharing;
	compressed hours;
	staggered hours;
	term-time working.
	As at 30 September, 9.6 per cent. staff in the core Department worked part-time. Information on other types of flexible working is not held centrally and could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost. Many requests for flexible working may be made informally between managers and staff and therefore will not be formally recorded.
	No specific data are held by the Department on the precise extent of home working by staff. Anecdotal evidence suggests that home working is on the increase due to the promotion of flexible working.

Departmental Waste Disposal

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many pieces of redundant electrical and electronic equipment was  (a) recycled,  (b) destroyed and  (c) disposed by other means by his Department in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 29 October 2008
	 DEFRA's contract for electrical and electronic equipment is outsourced to IBM. IBM's third-party supplier, Northern Realisations Ltd., provides a service fully compliant with the Waste Electronic and Electrical and Energy Regulations (WEEE) and Reduction of Hazardous Waste directives.
	The following table provides a breakdown of the information held by Northern Realisations Ltd. relating to DEFRA.
	
		
			   Total (all equipment types)  Schools( 1)  Sale( 2)  Reclamation( 3) 
			 Y/e September 2008 6,794 3,665 2,317 812 
			 Y/e September 2007 3,130 1,373 1,057 700 
			 Y/e September 2006 4,353 3,136 825 392 
			 Y/e September 2005 7,161 4,763 1,899 499 
			 Y/e September 2004 7,556 5,007 2,024 525 
			 Total items 28,994 17,944 8,122 2,928 
			 (1 )Supplied to UK schools and charities under Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher Project. (2) Remarketed commercially for re-use. (3) Channelled into materials reclamation (Recycling). Average recovery rate on materials reclamation—78 per cent.  Source: Northern Realisation—28 October 2008

Dogs: Animal Welfare

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 361-2W, when the Minister of State plans to meet representatives of the Kennel Club and the Dogs Trust.

Jane Kennedy: Meetings with both organisations will take place shortly.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers waste collection authorities have to restrict  (a) the size of a bin provided to a household and  (b) the number of bins provided in circumstances where a householder is prepared to pay for an additional bin to be provided; and what changes the provisions in the Climate Change Bill amending the Environmental Protection Act 1990, if enacted, are expected to make to existing practices.

Jane Kennedy: Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA) allows waste collection authorities to determine arrangements for the collection of household waste, including requiring occupiers to place waste for collection in receptacles of a specified size . They must do this by way of a section 46 notice, usually in the form of a leaflet, issued to residents.
	The authority's choice of the type and number of receptacles provided will depend on the collection methodology it is employing and its view on the capacity of the receptacles required by households, based on its experience of waste collection in the area.
	If a resident is fulfilling the requirements of the section 46 notice, by separating out recyclates and placing them in the correct receptacles and yet still generates too much residual waste to fit in the receptacle provided for residual waste, the authority may make arrangements with the household for a larger or additional receptacle to be used.
	A waste collection authority must collect all household waste presented in the manner it has specified in the section 46 notice. Provisions in the Climate Change Bill do not alter this duty.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what amount of household waste per person was  (a) recycled and  (b) not recycled or composted in each of the last 20 years.

Jane Kennedy: The following table shows the amounts of household waste recycled or composted and household waste not recycled or composted by English local authorities. Prior to 1995-96 estimates are only available for 1983-84,1991-92 and 1993-94.
	
		
			  Kilograms per person per year 
			   Waste recycled/composted  Waste not recycled/composted 
			 1983-84 3 394 
			 1991-92 11 417 
			 1993-94 15 430 
			 1995-96 29 421 
			 1996-97 35 430 
			 1997-98 39 440 
			 1998-99 44 439 
			 1999-2000 52 453 
			 2000-01 57 453 
			 2001-02 65 452 
			 2002-03 75 445 
			 2003-04 91 420 
			 2004-05 115 397 
			 2005-06 135 370 
			 2006-07 157 351 
			 2007-08 171 324 
			  Source: DEFRA's Municipal Waste Management Survey from 1995-96, earlier estimates from CIPFA stats.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what schemes relating to UK household waste prevention have been funded by the EU Interreg programme.

Jane Kennedy: We are aware of three schemes relating to UK household waste prevention that have been funded by the EU Interreg programme:
	1. Rethinking Rubbish: Tackling our Waste issues together;
	2. Community Challenge: Take Part, Make a Difference; and
	3. Waste in Action.
	The schemes are part of the Franco-British Interreg IIIA 2000-06 and the 4A (Manche) programmes.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the report commissioned by the Waste and Resources Action Programme from Eunomia entitled Managing Biowastes from Households in the UK: Applying Life-cycle Thinking in the Framework of Cost-benefit Analysis.

Jane Kennedy: This report is publicly available on WRAP's website at:
	www.wrap.org.uk

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance the Waste and Resources Action Programme has issued to local authorities on the operation of weekly collections of residual household waste.

Jane Kennedy: No such guidance has been issued by the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on co-mingling in the collection of household recycling and the use of materials recycling facilities.

Jane Kennedy: How waste is collected and sorted affects the end markets for which it is suited and the value it will achieve. Both kerbside sorted collections and the commingled collection of materials for sorting at materials recycling facilities (MRFs) have roles to play in the appropriate circumstances and are capable of producing materials of a satisfactory quality if properly managed.
	The Government believe local authorities are better placed to make decisions on the waste management strategy for their area, and that they should be as well informed as possible when making decisions.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information is collated  (a) locally,  (b) centrally and  (c) by the Environment Agency on the processing, destinations and locations of household rubbish collected for recycling.

Jane Kennedy: Local authorities are required to report data on municipal waste to WasteDataFlow. This includes details of the amounts of waste collected and the location to which this waste is sent for reprocessing or disposal.
	The Environment Agency have access to information reported through WasteDataFlow by local authorities and they monitor and audit this as part of their duties under the landfill allowance trading scheme.
	Facilities licensed under waste permits are also required to report to the Environment Agency on the amounts of waste they manage, by type of waste.

Domestic Wastes

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 9 October 2008,  Official Report, column 746W, on Waste and Resources Action Programme, 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the remit and specification for the public affairs work undertaken by Chelgate Ltd.; and what public policy makers and opinion formers, outside established stakeholders, the company has been tasked with reaching;
	(2)  who the established stakeholder groups referred to in the Answer are.

Jane Kennedy: WRAP's remit is to promote resource efficiency. This involves helping individuals, businesses and other organisations to reduce waste, recycle materials and find effective end markets for them.
	These activities are of wide public and political interest, and the remit given to Chelgate Ltd. was to help WRAP communicate with parliamentarians and local authority leaders to inform them about progress being made, opportunities for further progress, and some of the innovative approaches WRAP has developed successfully in recent years.
	The established stakeholder groups referred to in the answer given to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait), 9 October 2008,  Official Report, column 746W, are the organizations and individuals that WRAP works with in order to fulfil its remit, including DEFRA and the devolved Governments, the waste industry, local authorities, and the construction, manufacturing and retail sectors.

Environment Agency: EA Geomatics

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency receives from commercial work undertaken by EA Geomatics.

Jane Kennedy: Environment Agency annual accounts 2007-08 indicate that £348,000 was received from the commercial work undertaken by the Geomatics Group.

Fly Tipping: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidents of fly-tipping there were in  (a) West Chelmsford constituency and  (b) the Chelmsford local authority area in each of the last five years; and how many people were prosecuted in each year for such offences.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 4 November 2008
	The number of fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions taken are not recorded at parliamentary ward level.
	The number of incidents of fly-tipping recorded on the Flycapture database by the borough of Chelmsford and the number of prosecutions taken by the authority against fly-tippers are only available for the last four years.
	
		
			   Number of incidents  Number of prosecutions 
			 2004-05 1,048 1 
			 2005-06 517 2 
			 2006-07 596 2 
			 2007-08 561 1 
		
	
	Prosecution action would only be taken as a last resort or against particularly serious cases, as there are several other types of enforcement activity that can be taken. Warning letters, serving of statutory notices, fixed penalty notices and formal cautions are also available to local authorities to use against fly-tippers.

Fly-tipping

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fly-tipping offences were recorded by Flycapture in 2007-08; at what cost to local authorities; and what proportion of those offences related to household waste.

Jane Kennedy: Local authorities recorded 1.28 million incidents of fly-tipping on the Flycapture database as having occurred in 2007-08, these range from fly-tipped single black bags to 'significant multiple loads'. 60 per cent. of these incidents were recorded as relating to household waste.
	The estimated cost of clearing these incidents was £73.8 million. This does not always constitute a direct cost to taxpayers as some authorities have framework contracts in place which include the clearance of fly-tipped material.
	More detailed information on the data recorded on the Flycapture database is available on the DEFRA website.

Landfill

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much waste was disposed of in landfill sites in each of the last 20 years.

Jane Kennedy: The amount of waste disposed of in landfills in England in years for which data are available is shown in the following table. Prior to 1998-99 national data were not compiled, and until 2005 estimates of total deposits were made every other financial year.
	
		
			  Total landfill deposits in England 
			   Thousand tonnes 
			 1998-99 74,676 
			 2000-01 79,923 
			 2002-03 75,671 
			 2004-05 68,942 
			 2005 67,889 
			 2006 64,937 
			  Source:  Environment Agency

Landfill

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether residual waste collected from businesses by  (a) local authorities and  (b) private contractors is subject to the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme.

Jane Kennedy: Waste from business premises collected by a local authority, or by a private contractor operating on behalf of the local authority, will be subject to the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme.

Landfill

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likelihood of meeting the 2013 landfill diversion target; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of progress by the United Kingdom towards the 2013 landfill diversion target; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: England is making good progress towards meeting its share of the UK's landfill diversion targets set in the EU landfill directive. The 2013 target remains challenging, but achievable.
	The Devolved Administrations are responsible for delivering their proportion of the UK targets, and are best placed to make assessments of progress made in their respective areas.

Maps: Environment Agency

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the area of  (a) England and  (b) Wales has been mapped by the Environment Agency using light detection and ranging technology.

Jane Kennedy: 51 per cent. of the total area of England and 66 per cent. of the total area of Wales has been mapped using light detection and ranging.

Maps: Environment Agency

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency spent on using light detection and ranging technology to prepare flood maps in  (a) each region of England and  (b) Wales in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: Environment Agency expenditure on light detection and ranging surveys for flood mapping is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			 Region 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 
			 Anglian 412 414 445 
			 Midlands 126 287 153 
			 North East 158 638 106 
			 North West 48 136 218 
			 Southern 50 226 35 
			 South West 113 125 284 
			 Thames 31 259 262 
			 Wales 31 150 131 
			 National programme  (£ million) 2 n/a n/a

Milk: Prices

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what forecast he has made of trends in the future price of milk; and whether he has assessed the likely effects of falling prices in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: Farmgate milk prices are determined by a number of factors, including the time of year; exchange rates; prices of dairy commodities prices on world and community markets; supply and demand; the value of the product mix; and for some contracts, production costs are taken into account.
	With production in its seasonal trough, farmgate prices are likely to have reached the peak of this cycle. As production increases towards the spring, farmgate prices will fall. How far and fast they will fall will depend on the adjustments needed to the downside of the commodity cycle. Prices for products such as butter and milk powders are currently falling on EU and world markets. The global economic downturn is also likely to have an impact on dairy commodity prices and demand. In time, this will feed through to farmgate prices. However, because of exchange rates and the large liquid milk market in Great Britain, the full effects of the downturn in commodity markets are unlikely to be fed through into farmgate prices.
	The exception is Northern Ireland, which is more reliant on the trade in commodity products than the rest of the UK. Northern Irish producers are therefore the first to benefit from increasing commodity prices and the first to experience falling farmgate prices as commodity prices weaken.
	Looking to the longer term, prices will recover as demand increases. However, farmgate prices are likely to become more volatile in future as the market is further deregulated.

Oil: Waste Management

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 178W, on oil: waste management, what measures are in place to give priority to the regeneration of waste oil above its combustion;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the implications of the European Court of Justice ruling in Case No. C-424/02, European Commission v United Kingdom for the UK's management of waste oil; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The European Court of Justice in its judgment of 15 July 2004 in case C-424/02 found that the UK had failed to take the measures necessary to give priority to the processing of waste oils by regeneration to fulfil the requirement in the Waste Oils Directive (75/439/EEC as amended). However, since that time a revised Waste Framework Directive (WFD) has been developed which repeals the Waste Oils Directive, and includes a revised waste hierarchy. The text of the revised WFD was adopted by the Environment Council of Ministers on 20 October 2008, and following its publication in the  Official Journal, the UK and other member states will have two years to transpose its requirements.

Oil: Waste Management

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the rate of duty to apply to waste derived fuel oil from 1 November on the achievement of complete recovery of waste oil to produce product equivalent fuel.

Jane Kennedy: The Government have considered the effects of the rate of duty on the management of waste oil as a whole.
	In applying for a renewal of the derogation on waste oil reused as fuel, the Government were concerned about the impact of ending the derogation at a time when the future of the waste oil market was uncertain. This was due to the introduction of the EC Waste Incineration Directive and the review of the EC Waste Framework Directive. It was also felt that the benefits to be gained from ending the derogation would be disproportionate to the compliance and administrative costs involved.
	The UK is required to impose duty on waste oils reused as fuel and the duty rate to be applied is consistent with the relevant EU Directive.
	The Government's assessment of the revenue and administrative cost implications is set out in the "Impact Assessment of the implementation of the Energy Products Directive (EPD) on the use of waste oils reused as fuel", published on 20 February 2008.

Recycling

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether materials for recycling collected from municipal  (a) litter bins and  (b) recycling bins will count toward targets for domestic recycling.

Jane Kennedy: Materials collected for recycling from municipal litter bins and recycling bins by, or on behalf of, a local authority will count towards its household recycling targets.

Recycling

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has provided on recycling in an office environment.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 9 October 2008,  Official Report, column 752W.

Waste and Resources Action Programme: Manpower

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many press, communications and marketing staff are employed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

Jane Kennedy: The Waste and Resources Action Programme employs a staff of 26 working on press, communications and marketing. Five staff work in the press team, four staff supporting its websites, 10 marketing officers, three people on the Love Food Hate Waste campaign and three on its Recycle Now campaign. These staff are led by a Director of Communications.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will remove from registered charities any liability to pay waste charges under the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 6 November 2008
	DEFRA is currently considering whether Schedule 2 of the Controlled Waste Regulations is due for review. Any such review would consider the position of charities in relation to this legislation.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 757W, on waste disposal: fees and charges, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Flycapture Enforcement Course module on the issuing of fixed penalty notices for waste offences.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock) on 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 858W.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the selection or designation of the pilot authorities for pilot waste incentive schemes for the collection of household waste will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

Jane Kennedy: The Government will select pilot areas on the basis of the criteria set out in the guidance on application and designation.

Waste Disposal: Fines

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the maximum fixed penalty fine is that can be levied by a waste collection authority against a household for a waste disposal offence.

Jane Kennedy: The maximum fixed penalty fine that can be levied by a waste collection authority for a breach of section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is £110.

Waste Disposal: Offices

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 9 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 751-53W, on waste disposal: offices, what advice or guidance has been provided to firms in relation to removing or reducing the number of residual waste bins in office environments.

Jane Kennedy: The DEFRA funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) does not make any specific comments on reducing or removing residual waste bins in offices. WRAP does suggest putting recycling bins where material arises, eg positioning paper recycling bins near photocopiers. WRAP also recommends that bins are clearly labelled by material types.

Waste Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates his Department's Advisory Group on Joint Waste Authorities has met to date; and what the membership of the group is.

Jane Kennedy: The Advisory Group on Joint Waste Authorities met on 12 November 2007, 9 January 2008, 13 February 2008, 30 April 2008, 29 July 2008 and 17 September 2008.
	The membership of the Advisory Group consists of individuals from organisations and local authorities with experience of joint working and improving efficiency in provision of local authority waste services, who provide DEFRA with knowledge and expertise.

Waste Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has issued on the replacement by waste collection authorities of stolen waste receptacles for household waste.

Jane Kennedy: No such guidance has been issued by either DEFRA or the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

Waste Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the report commissioned for his Department entitled Municipal Waste Management Strategies and the Land Use Planning System for Waste in England - A Report to DEFRA and ODPM.

Jane Kennedy: I am arranging for a copy of the Department's report entitled Municipal Waste Management Strategies and the Land Use Planning System for Waste in England - A Report to DEFRA and ODPM to be placed in the Library.

Waste Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether  (a) his Department,  (b) the Environment Agency and  (c) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has provided support to local authority schemes for recruiting volunteers to monitor local environmental quality.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA part-funds ENCAMS (Environmental Campaigns) who provide advice and can offer training on how community groups can help to clean up their local areas and link with others interested in improving local environmental quality, for example through the 'Big Tidy Up' campaign. Local authorities have a statutory requirement to monitor and report on the cleanliness of their area but community groups may be able to assist authorities in fulfilling this obligation.
	The Environment Agency and WRAP have not provided any support.

Waste Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations his Department has received on making joint waste authorities precepting authorities.

Jane Kennedy: The Government did not consult on this specifically and our position remains that Joint Waste Authorities will not have precepting powers. Precepting was raised by a number of respondents to the recent consultation on draft regulations and guidance for proposals for Joint Waste Authorities. In addition the issue has been raised by stakeholders as part of wider informal discussions.

Water Supply

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire of 10 September 2008,  Official Report, columns 1998-9W, on water supply, what the titles are of the research reports and studies undertaken by the Environment Agency on household water use.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	As set out in my previous answer there are a series of studies that have been undertaken by various different organisations, including the Environment Agency, into water consumption in the UK. Some of these studies are in the public domain, others, which include commercially sensitive data, are not. Environment Agency reports include; "The Environment Agency's advice to Ministers on the final water resources plans submitted by water companies as part of the 2004 periodic review". This was published July 2004 and available to download from;
	http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO 0704BLUV-e-e.pdf?lang=_e
	In developing the water consumption levels set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes, the Building Research Establishment (BRE) also used information and data that were published in Environment Agency's report titled "Assessing the cost of compliance with the code for sustainable homes".
	This was published January 2007 and available to download from;
	http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/scho0107bltree_1746081.pdf

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Arctic

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent research he has evaluated on the volume of Arctic ice.

Joan Ruddock: Recent and current research and monitoring studies have identified further losses in both the thickness and extent of Arctic ice.
	 Sea ice
	Last month, scientists from University College London reported that the thickness of Arctic sea ice was significantly lower (by an average of 10 per cent.) during the winter of 2007-08 than during the previous five winters, indicating that the total volume of sea ice has decreased significantly. Though based only on satellite data (which are not ideal for measuring sea ice thickness), this result confirms previous evidence of decreasing sea ice thickness over the past three decades from U.S. and U.K. submarine sonar measurements.
	Satellite monitoring since 1979 also shows there has been a long-term decline in the extent of summer Arctic sea ice and this decline has accelerated over the last decade. The summer minimum in 2008 was slightly greater than the record low in 2007, but was still the second lowest year on record, despite relatively cool temperatures this year. The latest generation of climate models developed by the Met Office Hadley Centre, under its joint DECC and MOD-funded Integrated Climate Programme, appears to capture the recent trend well and indicates that this decline will continue over coming years.
	 Greenland Ice Sheet
	UK researchers have been using satellite data and other observations to monitor changes in the Greenland Ice Sheet. The longer term results show that the total ice mass has decreased over the past few decades and recent observations indicate that the duration and total area of surface melting on the ice sheet was higher during summer 2007 than during any other summer since records began in 1973. This year, there has been significant loss of ice from Petermann and Jakobshavn Isbrae glaciers. Continuing ice sheet loss has major implications for sea levels rise and DECC is working with UK researchers to understand and model ice sheet dynamics better, to improve estimates of where the Greenland ice sheet 'tipping point' might be in relation to global temperature increase.

British Energy: EDF

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the monetary value of the contract between the Government and UBS Limited for advice provided in regard of the sale of British Energy to EDF was.

Mike O'Brien: It would not be appropriate to disclose the value of the contract between the Government and UBS for their advice in relation to the potential sale of British Energy as the contract remains open pending completion of the deal, and the information is commercially confidential.

British Energy: EDF

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the monetary value of the contract between the Nuclear Liabilities Fund and Lazard and Co for advice provided in regard of the sale of British Energy to EDF was.

Mike O'Brien: The value of the contract between the NLF and Lazard and Co. for advice provided with regard to the sale of British Energy is a matter for the NLF Trustees, and I have been advised by them that they consider the information to be commercially confidential.

Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to place a limit on the use of credits generated through the Kyoto mechanisms for emissions reduction.

Joan Ruddock: The Government have tabled an amendment to the Climate Change Bill which would require a limit to be set on the purchase of credits for each budgetary period in secondary legislation, subject to the affirmative procedure, and taking into account the Committee on Climate Change's advice on the appropriate balance between action at domestic, European and international level, for each carbon budget.
	The European Commission has made proposals on how access to project credits should be limited in its legislative package on Climate and Energy. The current proposal is that, on the basis of sharing a 20 per cent. EU reduction target, member states have an annual project credit allowance in the years 2013-20 equal to 3 per cent. of their non-emissions trading scheme (ETS) emissions in 2005. In the EU ETS, and again for a 20 per cent. reduction target, no new access to project credits is envisaged for phase III (2013-20) of the scheme.
	For a 30 per cent. target, the Commission's proposal allows for half the additional reduction to be met through project credits in both the EU ETS and the sectors of the economy not covered by the EU ETS.

Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of efficiency measures installed under the  (a) first and  (b) second phase of the energy efficiency commitment which were installed in rural areas.

Joan Ruddock: Under each phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment, Ofgem, who regulate the scheme for the Government, were only required to monitor energy suppliers' activity across Great Britain as a whole. Data are not collected by region or any other local area.

Carbon Emissions Reduction Target

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of efficiency measures installed under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target which were installed in rural areas.

Joan Ruddock: Under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target programme, Ofgem, who regulate the scheme for the Government, is only required to monitor energy suppliers' activity across Great Britain as a whole. Data are not collected by region or any other local area.

Carbon Emissions: Construction

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many energy efficiency measures were installed in England under the  (a) first and  (b) second phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment in each (i) Government Office region, (ii) local authority and (iii) constituency.

Joan Ruddock: Ofgem's report 'A Review of the Energy Efficiency Commitment 2002-2005', published in August 2005, states that 66,923,178 measures were installed in England over this three-year period. Included within this figure were 1,945,749 cavity wall and loft insulation measures, plus 39,737,570 compact florescent lamps (CFLs)—energy efficient light bulbs.
	Ofgem's report 'A Review of the Energy Efficiency Commitment 2005-2008', published in August 2008, states that 163,277,782 measures were installed in England over this three-year period. Included within this figure were 3,324,545 cavity wall and loft insulation measures, plus 101,876,023 CFLs.
	Under the Energy Efficiency Commitment, Ofgem, who regulated the schemes for the Government, were only required to monitor energy suppliers' activity across Great Britain as a whole and data were not collected by region or any other local area.

Carbon Emissions: Housing

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many energy efficiency measures have been installed under the  (a) Warm Front and  (b) Home Energy Efficiency schemes in each (i) Government Office region, (ii) local authority area and (iii) constituency.

Joan Ruddock: As fuel poverty is now a devolved matter, the answer refers only to measures installed in England through the Warm Front scheme.
	A spreadsheet illustrating the number of measures delivered through the Warm Front scheme, by scheme year for the last three full years (2005-08) split by (i) Government Office region, (ii) local authority area and (iii) constituency has been placed in the House Libraries.

Carbon Emissions: International Cooperation

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will list in descending order of magnitude the percentage contribution that each county, including the UK, is making to global carbon dioxide emissions.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 13 November 2008
	A table produced by the World Resources Institute listing the latest data available for global carbon dioxide emissions in 2004 has been placed in the House Libraries. The figures are listed as both percentages and thousand metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent and are listed by country in order of the magnitude of its contribution to the global total as requested.
	The latest figure for total global carbon dioxide emissions in 2004 is approaching 30 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (27,251,186 thousand metric tonnes).
	The United States is the greatest contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions in 2004, being responsible for over 20 per cent. of the global total. The UK is ranked 7th overall for its contribution to global carbon dioxide emissions in 2004 with just over 2 per cent. of the global total.

Climate Change: Public Appointments

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress the Government have made in appointing a new Chair of the Committee on Climate Change; and when he expects an appointment to be announced.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The recruitment process is well under way but at present we do not have a specific date for making an announcement.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what buildings are occupied by his Department; and what other buildings his Department plans to use.

Mike O'Brien: DECC has just announced that it intends to move all of its London staff into 3 Whitehall Place. Currently staff are working in 1 Victoria Street, Ergon House and 3 Whitehall Place.

Departmental Marketing

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of Government-commissioned advertising in the last 12 months relating to matters falling within the remit of his Department.

Mike O'Brien: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was previously responsible for energy policy. It commissioned press advertising in the financial year 2007-08 from COI to raise awareness of the consultation on the future of nuclear power in the UK. This involved placing advertisements in major national newspapers.
	Cost effectiveness was assessed by the potential audience size reached, calculated by the circulation of each newspaper and the discount on advertising rates achieved by COI against standard rate card costs.

Departmental Marketing

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what costs have been incurred in creating his Department's brand identity.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has spent approximately £18,000 to date on branding, including temporary signage and letterhead to identify the building and correspondence from the Department in its early weeks, as well as developing the Department's long term brand identity.

Departmental Older Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people aged over  (a) 55 and  (b) 60 years who work in his Department were recruited in 2007-08; and what percentage in each case this was of the number of staff recruited in that year who work in his Department.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change was created recently and as yet information on final staff numbers are not available and have not been agreed. This information will be released as soon as possible.

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many civil servants working in his Department and its agencies have pensions with a cash equivalent transfer value of over £1 million.

Mike O'Brien: It is not the Department's policy to disclose pension information for civil servants other than Board Members whose details will be shown in the Remuneration Report in annual Resource Accounts. A copy of the DECC Resource Accounts will be placed in the Libraries of the House when they are published.

Fuel Poverty

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the implications of the recent High Court judgment are for his Department's statutory duty to end fuel poverty for vulnerable households by 2010 and for all households by 2016.

Joan Ruddock: Tackling fuel poverty remains a priority for the Government. Since 2000, the Government have spent £20 billion on fuel poverty benefits and programmes. Significant spending will continue.
	The UK Government remain committed to the eradication of fuel poverty in vulnerable households as far as reasonably practicable by 2010 with the overall aim that as far as reasonably practicable no household in the UK should live in fuel poverty by 2016.
	Despite the considerable resources already committed to tackling fuel poverty, recent rises in energy prices have made the challenge of tackling fuel poverty more difficult. Therefore, while the current mix of fuel poverty measures will not eradicate fuel poverty in all vulnerable households by 2010, the package announced 11 September underlines the Government's commitment to do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure that those households, and others, do not live in fuel poverty.
	The recent judicial review concerned the Government's statutory duty to do all that is reasonably practicable to eradicate fuel poverty in England in vulnerable households by 2010 and in all households by 2016. The Government remain committed to that duty.

Warm Front Scheme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget for the Warm Front scheme  (a) is in the current financial year and  (b) will be in each of the next five financial years.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 11 November 2008
	The Warm Front budget for the current financial year is set at approximately £345 million.
	The budgets for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are approximately £274 million and £250 million respectively.
	At present, no budget has been set beyond this period.

Warm Front Scheme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many pensioners aged below 70 have participated in the Warm Front scheme in each of the last five years.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 11 November 2008
	The following table illustrates, by scheme year from 2005-06, the number of households assisted by Warm Front where the customer was aged 60 to 69 at the point of application.
	Prior to 2005 the scheme was administered by two scheme managers. The data retained by the present agency are not sufficient to provide the data for the 2004-05 period to the necessary level of detail.
	
		
			  Scheme year  Eligible customer aged 60 to 69 
			 2005-06 27,441 
			 2006-07 59,555 
			 2007-08 63,733 
			 2008-09 (to 31 October) 25,269

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Arms Trade: Democratic Republic Of Congo

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what equipment on the military list has been sold or transferred to  (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo and  (b) Rwanda in each of the last three years.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 13 November 2008
	The Government publish detailed information on export licences issued, refused and revoked, by destination, including the overall value and a summary of the items covered by these licences, in its annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls.
	The Government's Annual Reports, published since 1997, and quarterly reports, published since 2004, are available from the House of Commons Library and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/publications/publications/annual-reports/export-controls

Broadband

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing a universal service obligation for broadband provision; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The European Commission is currently consulting member states as part of the European Union's periodical review on the scope of universal service in electronic communications networks and services. The question of whether broadband should be included under a universal service obligation (USO) forms part of this process. The European Commission recently published a Communication in which they concluded that there was not a case currently for introducing a USO in respect of broadband but that this was an important issue that needs to be kept under review, and about which there needs to be a debate.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the provision of broadband in rural areas.

Ian Pearson: On 17 October the Government announced that "The Digital Britain Report" will develop a comprehensive strategy to further the UK's digital economy and society. Part of this work on broadband development will involve examining options for maximising participation and levels of service across the UK.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations his Department has received on provision of broadband in rural areas in the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: In the last 12 months, this Department has received many representations in the form of inquiries and questions from the public and fellow Members of Parliament on broadband in rural areas. The focus of them has been on issues such as impact on businesses, rural economic activity caused by problems around broadband supply, lack of competition and speed of broadband.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

Michael Meacher: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will require all new coal plants to capture at least 90 per cent. of their carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 if they are to continue operating.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	The EU emissions trading scheme sits at the heart of our strategy for reducing emissions from the power sector. All power plants have to operate within the cap on emissions set by the EU ETS and we are actively supporting current proposals to tighten the cap year on year to 2020 and beyond, setting us on a pathway to achieve our 2020 and longer term emission goals.
	Although the separate processes involved in CCS—capture, transport and storage—have been proven on an individual basis over many years, the application of the full chain of CCS technology on a commercial-scale power station has not yet been demonstrated. Until the operation of the full chain of CCS in conjunction with a power station has been proven, it would not be prudent to require new coal plants to be fitted with CCS or to set a date by which this would be required. The urgency for demonstrating the foil chain of CCS is why the UK Government are supporting one of the world's first commercial-scale demonstration projects.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the cost to UK industry of implementing the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive to date.

Ian Pearson: These data are not available. However, the estimated costs of implementing the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive were set out in the final regulatory impact assessment which was published when the WEEE regulations were laid before Parliament on 12 December 2006.

Energy: Companies

Harry Cohen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what information the Government has on the level of profit of gas and electricity energy companies arising from activities in the UK in the last five years; and how much profit was made by such companies in each of those years.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the profits of energy companies operating in the UK can be obtained from the published financial statements of these companies.
	In addition, a further source of information is the Value Added Scoreboard:
	www.innovation.gov.uk/value_added/
	published annually by DIUS and BERR (and previously by DTI), lists operating profit for the largest UK-based energy firms, including UK subsidiaries of non-UK firms. This information is compiled from company accounts.

Exports: Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will put in place procedures to record the export of products to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory separately from those relating to Israel.

Ian Pearson: We have no reason to believe that strategically controlled products have been exported to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory in contravention of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

Financial Services: EU Action

Ann Winterton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions of EU Directive 2006/49/EC in relation to mark to market, with particular reference to annex VII.

Ian Pearson: On 15 October 2008 the European Commission adopted amendments to EFRS 39 and IFRS 7, with the unanimous support of member states. These amendments ensured that EU companies have the same flexibility as their American competitors to reclassify assets held-for-trading into the held-to-maturity category. The current financial crisis justifies the use of reclassification by companies. In these circumstances, financial institutions in the EU would no longer have to reflect market fluctuation in their financial statements for these kinds of assets. These changes will apply as from the third quarter of 2008.

Oil Companies

Harry Cohen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) statistics and  (b) other information his Department holds on the financial performance of oil and petroleum companies arising from activities in the UK in the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer  17 September 2008
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Department conducts no surveys on petroleum companies' financial performance which is not in the public domain.
	Twice a year the Department conducts a survey of UK upstream operators which provides information on income and expenditure relating to the oil and gas fields they operate. It also collects information on their exploration expenditure. The information is collated and aggregated data are published at:
	https://www.og.berr.gov.uk/information/bb_updates/appendices/Appendix7.htm
	The published data for the last five years are in the following tables.
	The Department also requires certain types of applications for the Secretary of State's consent, e.g. for consent to petroleum field development plans, to be supported by evidence that the company or companies concerned has sufficient financial resources to meet the expenses and liabilities consequent on or related to that project.
	
		
			  Income from and expenditure on UK continental shelf exploration, development and operating activities 
			  £ million 
			   Income  Expenses 
			   Oil sales  NGL sales  Gas sales  Other income( 1)  Total income  Operating costs  Of which:  decommissioning costs  Other expenses( 2)  Total expenses  Gross operating surplus( 3) 
			 2003 13,365 1,105 7,554 1,538 23,562 4,496 n/a 8 4,504 19,058 
			 2004 13,477 1,266 7,476 1,178 23,397 4,664 148 87 4,751 18,646 
			 2005 16,656 1,681 9,021 1,451 28,809 5,113 412 128 5,241 23,568 
			 2006 17,935 1,910 11,741 1,658 33,244 5,597 144 252 5,849 27,394 
			 2007 18,979 1,749 9,377 1,814 31,920 6,007 163 230 6,237 25,683 
		
	
	
		
			   Capital expenditure  Prices  
			   E&A( 4)   (£ million)  Of which:  Seismic   (£ million)  Investment other than E&A (£ million)  Total   (£ million)  Average oil price (£/tonne)  Average gas price (p/therm)  GDP deflator (2003=100) 
			 2003 334 42 3,412 3,746 130.0 17.4 100.0 
			 2004 396 87 3,302 3,698 154.0 21.0 102.6 
			 2005 460 34 4,371 4,831 215.8 27.8 104.9 
			 2006 773 99 5,656 6,429 257.5 38.2 107.7 
			 2007 1,090 56 5,303 6,393 269.8 31.9 110.8 
			 (1) Revenues from pipelines and terminals, and other revenues of operators and production licensees. (2) Other costs of operators and production licensees not attributable to oil or gas fields. (3) Gross operating surplus = total income less total expenses. (4) E&A costs include exploration and the cost of appraisal wells drilled prior to development approval.  Note: The figures exclude change in stocks and book value of stocks.

Trade: Commonwealth

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions have taken place between his Department and Commonwealth governments to encourage intra-Commonwealth trade.

Gareth Thomas: The Department has many discussions with Governments of Commonwealth countries in support of the Department's key objective of delivering free and fair trade. These have included in the past three months discussions with the New Zealand high commissioner and Trade Minister, the Jamaican Minister for Commerce and Investment, Jamaica Trade and Invest, the Sri Lankan Minister for Commerce, the Commonwealth Business Council the UK/Caribbean Forum and the Cameroonian Prime Minister.

Waste Disposal: EU Law

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what tonnage of waste products were  (a) recycled and  (b) sent for energy recovery under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in the first compliance period, broken down by region.

Ian Pearson: The level of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) which is treated and reprocessed on behalf of UK producers is only recorded at a national level. During the first compliance period (1 July to 31 December 2007), 184,334.13 tonnes of WEEE was separately collected, sent for treatment, recovery and recycling or re-used as whole appliances.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to question 232194, tabled by the hon. Member for Woking on 28 October 2008, on branded golf balls.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1128W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the standard tour of duty is for personnel sent to Afghanistan; and how much decompression time is provided at the end of each tour.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has employees operating in both Kabul and in the Helmand region of Afghanistan. The standard tour length for employees posted to Kabul is one year and for Helmand it is six months. Employees may be offered the option of extending their tour by up to a further one year in Kabul and six months in Helmand.
	At the end of their posting employees who have served one year in Afghanistan must take a minimum of four weeks annual leave (accumulated while at post) to ensure an acceptable decompression period before taking up their next posting. Employees who have served for 18 months should take a minimum of five weeks, and those who have been in country for two years should take a minimum of six weeks.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian assistance the Government are providing to citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) is one of the largest and most active humanitarian donors in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A recent additional £5 million contribution for the crisis in North Kivu brings our total contribution in 2008 to £42 million. We are also engaged with humanitarian contacts, not least as current chair of the Good Humanitarian Donorship Group in DRC, to help assess the situation, co-ordinate donors and ensure that together donors respond to priority needs.
	Following a request from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Department for International Development (DFID) is organising relief flights with plastic sheeting, blankets, water purification tablets and buckets for immediate distribution to those in need. DFID funded partners are able to get some assistance to those displaced and in need in and around Goma and some of the secure outlying areas. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP) and non-governmental partners such as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Merlin and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) have been providing immediate relief aid such as emergency food, health, shelter and non-food items.

Departmental ICT

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) memory sticks,  (b) laptop computers,  (c) desktop computers,  (d) hard drives and  (e) mobile telephones were (i) lost by and (ii) stolen from his Department in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: Central accounting records detailing write-off and lost information are held by the Department for International Development (DFID) for up to seven years. On this basis we have detailed property lost or stolen since financial year 2001-02. Information is provided in the following table.
	All DFID laptops have secure encryption technology and no data have been put at risk. All losses and thefts are investigated by our Business Solutions Division and Security section for breach of security practice.
	
		
			  Type  Classification  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 Memory sticks (a) Lost (i) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			  Stolen (ii) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Laptop computers (b) Lost (i) 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 03 
			  Stolen (ii) 3 5 5 6 6 3 8 36 
			 Desk Top Computers (c) Lost (i) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Stolen (ii) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hard Drives (d) Lost (i) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Stolen (ii) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Mobile phones (e) Lost (i) 0 3 0 3 3 0 1 10 
			  Stolen (ii) 1 2 3 3 8 0 1 18

Departmental Older Workers

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people recruited by his Department in 2007-08 were aged over  (a) 55 years and  (b) 60 years; and what percentage this represented of the number of new recruits in each case.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 November 2008,  Official Repor t , columns 109-10W to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson).

Departmental Procurement

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small and medium-sized businesses were paid within 30 days of receipt by  (a) his Department and  (b) the agencies for which his Department is responsible in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not currently publish information about size of suppliers as this does not fully reflect the number and size of businesses engaged in supplying to Government. We do not discriminate by size of business because many SMEs can be found within larger supply chains. Alongside speeding up Government payment we are also looking to lead contractors to pass on the benefits to smaller suppliers in their supply chains.
	The proportion of invoices for all goods and services paid within 30 days of receipt by DFID in 2007-08 was 94.5 per cent.
	I welcome the statement by the Prime Minister at Prime Minister's Questions on 8 October 2008,  Official Report, column 268-9 and will ensure that DFID works towards making payment of all invoices as soon as possible and within 10 days.

Developing Countries: Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of out-of-school disabled children in developing countries.

Ivan Lewis: The UK Government are spending £8.5 billion over the period 2006-07—2015-16 in support of education in developing countries. This will help support partner countries' plans, policies and programmes to ensure that children, including those with disabilities, benefit from quality education. We are working with partners to ensure inclusive education strategies are integral to these plans and specifically that access to education by children with special needs is addressed.
	The Department for International Development's (DFID) policy in support of the disadvantaged is laid out in the paper "Reducing poverty by tackling social exclusion". The paper is available in the House Library and on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/social-exclusion.pdf
	and recognises that certain groups of children including girls, are more likely to be excluded from school on basis of caste, ethnicity, religion or disability and that children with special needs constitute a significant group that is denied education.

Development Aid: Conferences

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's objectives are for the Financing for Development Conference in Doha; what Ministerial and official level representation there will be from his Department as part of the British delegation to the summit; what discussions he has had with the  (a) Prime Minister and  (b) Chancellor of the Exchequer about this summit; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) wishes to see the Doha Conference reconfirm the commitment of developed, emerging and developing countries, originally expressed in 2002 at Monterrey, to work together to meet the challenges of financing for development and to meet the Millennium Development Goals. In support of this, developed countries should reaffirm that, despite current economic difficulties, they will meet their aid commitments and will work with developing countries to help them respond to current challenges.
	I will represent the UK Government at the conference, accompanied by a small delegation of officials from my Department.
	There is considerable ongoing co-ordination across Whitehall in preparation for the conference, with regular engagement from all relevant Departments.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Armed Conflict

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what instructions his Department gave to its staff in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan during 2005 on (i) the use of and (ii) travelling in Snatch Land Rovers; and when those instructions were issued.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not comment on specific issues of staff security overseas.

Overseas Aid: Expenditure

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the  (a) number of remittances and  (b) monetary value of remittances sent from the UK to each recipient developing country in each of the last three years.

Douglas Alexander: Estimates of total personal remittance flows from the UK are included in the UK Balance of Payments "Pink Book", table 5.1, within the published series for "other receipts of and payments by households and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH)". This is available online:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/Pink Book_2008_final.pdf
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has estimated that remittances comprise at least 75 per cent. of the series published in the Pink Book for total payments and receipts by households and NPISH. The estimates for remittances from the UK, excluding the NPISH element, are given in the following table for each of the last three years. However, the ONS stresses that these estimates are highly uncertain. DFID is working closely with the ONS and multilateral partners to improve the data on remittances.
	
		
			  Total personal remittances from the UK 2005-07 
			   Remittances (£ billion) 
			 2005 3.7 
			 2006 3.9 
			 2007 4.1 
		
	
	According to DFID funded research, the five largest recipients of remittances from the UK to developing countries are India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Jamaica and Ghana. On average, black and minority ethnic (BME) households send remittances three and a half times a year, although this varies by ethnic group. DFID recognises the positive impact that these money transfers can make on people's lives in developing countries, and has an active agenda to improve the developmental impact of remittances, seeking to help make remittances cheaper, safer and more accessible. Further information on DFID funded research into remittances is available on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/ukremittancessurvey.pdf

Performance Appraisal

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their annual report in the latest reporting year for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: Guidance on performance management arrangements for the senior civil service (SCS) is issued annually by the Cabinet Office. Currently there are four performance groups with Performance Group 4 being used for the Bottom 5 to 10 per cent. of performers. People in this group should not receive a bonus and have action taken to address under performance or ongoing poor performance, including the drawing up of a Performance Improvement Plan.
	For performance during the reporting year 2007-08, 10 DFID senior civil servants were rated under Performance Group 4.
	For staff below the SCS, DFID operates a three tier performance management system the lowest tier being allocated to those who are "Most In Need of Development". This rating is used for the poorest performers and those who have contributed least.
	For performance during the reporting year 2007-08, 73 members of staff below the SCS received a "Most In Need of Development" rating.

Programme Development Fund

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many applications were made to  (a) the Programme Development Fund and  (b) the Travel Bursary Fund in each of the last five years; how many successful applications were made to each in each year; and what the (i) value, (ii) destination, (iii) purpose and (iv) outcome was of each award made.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) provides funding to the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) to run a scheme to raise development awareness via the broadcast media. The scheme includes a Programme Development Fund (PDF) and a Travel Bursary Fund (TBF). The number of applications to the two funds in each of the last five years, and the number of successful applications with their value, destination and outcome is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Programme Development Fund 
			  Year  Applications( 1)  Awards  given  Value( 2)  (£)  Destination of successful awards  Outcome of awards given 
			 2004 42 18 1,038-8,000 3 India, 1 Zambia, 3 Sudan (Darfur), 3 Pan developing world, 1 Ethiopia, 1 Caribbean, 1 Kashmir, 1 Nepal, 1 South Africa, 1 Sierra Leone, 1 Sri Lanka, 2 projects reflected development issues and asylum seekers in the UK. 12 programmes/series have been broadcast to date including a major children's TV series and two multiple award winning documentaries. Others remain in development/production. 
			   
			 2005 30 11 9,488-10,000 1 Angola, 1 Congo, 1 Brazil, 1 Mongolia, 2 Caribbean, 1 South Africa, 1 India, 1 Uganda and two global developing world. 4 programmes have been broadcast to date. One had multiple media outputs including a major theatrical (cinema release). Others remain in development/production. 
			   
			 2006 25 15 2,500-10,000 2 India, 1 Cuba, 1 Uganda, 1 Rwanda, 1 Haiti, 1 west Africa, 1 Latin America, 1 global developing world, 1 Nigeria, 1 former Soviet Union, 1 Ascension Island 1 Afghanistan, 1 Iraq, 1 Palestine. 4 programmes/series have been broadcast to date. 1 other has been screened at festivals. Others remain in development/production, 1 has had extensive theatrical release. 
			 2007 57 (3)9 1,800-10,000 2 East Africa, 2 South Africa, 2 India, 1 Ethiopia, 1 Iraq, 1 Bhutan, 1 Mozambique, 1 former Soviet Union, 11ran, 1 Belize, 1 Laos/Cambodia, 1 Burkina Faso, 1 Ukraine, 1 Brazil. 2 programmes have been broadcast. Others remain in development/production, including one multiple award wining film that has also had extensive theatrical release. 
			   
			 2008 57 (3)9 5,000-10,000 1 Kenya, 1 global developing world, 1 China/Africa, 1 Pakistan, 1 global/ aboriginal, 1 Lebanon, 1 Afghanistan, 1 Zambia, 1 East Africa. 1 is due for screening. Others remain in development/production. 
		
	
	
		
			  Travel Bursary Fund 
			  Year  Applications( 4 ) and awards given  Value( 5)  (£)  Destination of Successful Awards  Outcome of Awards Given 
			 2004 Awards made to 12 bursars from 8 formal applications. 5,000-10,000 6 India, 1 Caribbean, 2 Tanzania, 1 pan Africa, 1 Ghana, 1 Uganda. 6 bursars achieved multiple media outputs, TV broadcasts plus online and radio and print for UK regional audiences, major coverage for the 'Africa Lives' on the BBC was developed by independent producers, 1 major documentary is currently in development/production, and research/development for the series 'Africa school' was successful. 
			  
			 2005 Awards made to 17 bursars from 11 applications. 1,126-10,000 2 Lesotho, 6 East Africa, 1 Cuba, 3 Nigeria, 3 The Gambia, 2 India, 1 Iran and Middle East. 14 bursars achieved multiple media outputs including a week long TV series plus radio and online for audiences in the east midlands about Uganda, major television and radio coverage of Lesotho for Wales and research/development1 for he series 'Indian School'. 
			  
			 2006 Awards made to 17 bursars from 11 applications. 2,616-10,000 3 Sierra Leone, 1 Ethiopia, 1 Latin America, 1 Swaziland, 2 Burma, 2 Bangladesh, 4 India (inc. 2 x Indian producers to UK), 2 Kenya, 1 Afghanistan. 10 bursars have already achieved multiple media outputs including 1 major documentary for broadcast in December 2008. Work of 2 bursars was broadcast on radio plus also press coverage and multi-media coverage and exhibitions throughout Cardiff and south Wales. 15 producers have work in production or commissioned. 
			  
			 2007 Awards made to 23 bursars from 17 applications. 231-10,000 8 Indian sub-continent, 1 Thailand (Burma), 1 Ghana, 2 China, 1 to S. Korea, 3 Latin America, 6 East Africa, 1 South African producer to UK, 1 DRC/Sierra Leone. 22 bursars have received either multiple media outputs (TV programmes, radio, online, photographic exhibitions, press articles) or firm commissions for the same. Many programmes and media outputs contributed to coverage of the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence. Other outputs ranged from a major documentary due for release in 2009 on Burmese refugees living in Thai camps and their relocation to the UK, slash and burn culture in Latin America, poverty and its effects in Haiti and health care in east Africa. 
			  
			 2008 Awards made to 13 bursars from 10 applications. 2,000-10,000 3 India, 1 Latin America, 2 Malawi, 1 Haiti, 1 Afghanistan, 1 Bulgaria. 4 African producers came to the UK. One series of shorts has already been broadcast, one series of shorts produced for broadcast in January 2009. All others are in production/development as would be expected with recent awards. 
			 (1) Applications to the PDF are made annually. All applications which are eligible for the funding are short-listed and evaluated. Only the short-listed applications are shown here. (2) Awards from the PDF were up to a maximum of £8,000 in 2004, and £10,000 from 2005. The range of values of awards made is shown' here, not the value (3 )To date. (4) Applications to the TBF can be made at any time. Inquiries to the TBF are received in very large numbers, usually by phone or email, and are not logged. The scheme staff work with all potential applicants to help them develop their ideas until potential applicants are ready to submit a formal application. Only formal applications are shown here. (5) TBF awards are up to a maximum of £10,000.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Audit Commission

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what reserves the Audit Commission holds; for what purpose the reserves are held; what the Commission's policy is on the management of its reserves; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated November 2008:
	Parliamentary Question on what reserves the Audit Commission holds; for what purpose the reserves are held; and what the Commission's policy is on the management of its reserves
	Your Parliamentary Question on what reserves the Audit Commission holds; for what purpose the reserves are held; and what the Commission's policy is on the management of its reserves has been passed to me for reply.
	The Audit Commission is a public corporation primarily funded by fees paid by audited and inspected bodies (AIBs). The Commission holds revenue reserves to fund working capital and meet expenditure in unforeseen and exceptional circumstances.
	The Commission's financial statement for the year ended 31 March 2008 show a revenue reserve of £28.152 million.
	The Commission's policy on the management of its reserves is to manage its cash in such a way as to avoid exceptional fees, or the need to borrow for revenue purposes. In addition, our policy is to invest our reserves with institutions with a credit rating of at least F1, subject to a maximum of £5 million with any institution.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Council Housing: Rents

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average change in rents set by  (a) local authorities and  (b) registered social landlords was in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09; and in which year she expects the rents set by each category of landlord to converge.

Iain Wright: We cannot control actual rent increases by local authorities, we can only set guideline rents which they can choose to follow or not.
	Average actual rent increases for local authorities in 2007-08 were 6.2 per cent. which equates to £3.56 per week, and for 2008-09 are 4.5 per cent. or £2.72 per week. These figures are based on un-audited housing subsidy claim forms submitted by local authorities to the Department.
	Average increases in registered social landlord rents in 2007-08 were 4.9 per cent. which equates to an average increase of £3.27 per week. These figures are based on the Housing Corporation's latest annual Regulatory Statistical Return (March 2008). The increase in rents for 2008-09 will not be known until the March 2009 Regulatory Statistical Return is available.
	We remain committed to the principle of rent restructuring, and forecast future falls in RPI should allow convergence to be achieved within a reasonable timeframe.

Deprivation Indicators

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest level is for education, skills and training average achievement at lower super output level in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales in descending order, giving the name of the lower super output area affected.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today (PQs 234939, 234950, 234944, 234943,234938, 234941 and 234942).

Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the FireGuard project board meeting of 27 October 2008.

Sadiq Khan: The FireGuard project is led by the Chief Fire Officers Association, and not by Communities and Local Government.

Home Ownership Incentive Schemes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what targets her Department has adopted for take-up rates of  (a) shared ownership and  (b) shared equity products.

Iain Wright: We remain committed to the delivery of affordable housing. Our aspiration is to help 75,000 households into home ownership through our shared ownership and shared equity schemes by the end of 2010-11. We have not set individual targets for our products to ensure flexibility within the programme in light of current market conditions.

Homelessness

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications for a main homelessness duty were  (a) accepted and  (b) not accepted in each local authority area in each of the previous five years, broken down by the applicant's (i) age, (ii) ethnicity, (iii) priority need category and (iv) reason for loss of last settled home.

Iain Wright: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected include all decisions made on applications by eligible applicants, and the number of applicants accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). These households are known as 'accepted' households.
	Data on accepted households are collected by age-band, ethnicity, priority need category and reason for loss of last settled home. A table showing data for the last five years, as reported by local authorities, has been placed in the Library. There are only three years of data for age-band as this was only collected from financial year 2005-06 onwards.
	Data on households not accepted as owed a main duty are collected by ethnicity, but not the other variables requested. A table showing acceptances by reason for non-acceptance, by ethnicity, as reported by local authorities, has been placed in the Library.

Homelessness: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) homeless people and  (b) rough sleepers there were in the London Borough of Enfield in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Summary tables showing the total number of households (a) accepted as owed a main homelessness duty and (b) in temporary accommodation, from 1997-98 to 2007-08, and (c) rough sleeper estimates from 1998 to 2007, for Enfield local authority, are as follows:
	
		
			  Table A: Number of households accepted( 1)  as owed a main homelessness duty during the year, 1997-98 to 2007-08—Enfield local authority 
			   Number 
			 1997-98 743 
			 1998-99 754 
			 1999-2000 793 
			 2000-01 1,007 
			 2001-02 1,143 
			 2002-03 1,186 
			 2003-04 1,085 
			 2004-05 (2)— 
			 2005-06 852 
			 2006-07 768 
			 2007-08 595 
			 (1) Households eligible under homelessness legislation, found to be unintentionally homeless and in a priority need category, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty. (2) Denotes data not reported. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Number of households in temporary accommodation( 1) , March 1998 to March 2008 —Enfield local authority 
			   Number 
			 1997-98 1,435 
			 1998-99 1,743 
			 1999-2000 2,087 
			 2000-01 2,289 
			 2001-02 2,392 
			 2002-03 2,678 
			 2003-04 2,963 
			 2004-05 (2)— 
			 2005-06 3,292 
			 2006-07 3,277 
			 2007-08 3,196 
			 (1) Households who have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty, those for which inquiries into whether they are owed the duty are pending, and those who were found to be intentionally homeless but are being accommodated for a reasonable period by the LA. It excludes households designated as 'homeless at home', that have remained in their existing accommodation and have the same rights to suitable accommodation as those in temporary accommodation arranged by the authority. (2) Denotes data not reported. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Number of rough sleepers (persons), 1998 to 2007 (mid-year estimates( 1) )—Enfield local authority 
			   Number 
			 1998 0 
			 1999 14 
			 2000 7 
			 2001 0 
			 2002 0 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 0 
			 2008 0 
			 (1) Estimates based on a combination of recent street counts in those areas where there is a known or suspected rough sleeping problem and of estimates made by local authorities, as reported on their HSSA returns to CLG in June of each year.

Housing: Construction

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new build homes constructed by registered social landlords were sold  (a) outright and  (b) under Home Buy and other schemes in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: The first table shows the number of new affordable homes in England that were sold outright via the right to acquire scheme, or under homebuy or other shared ownership and shared equity schemes, by registered social landlords each year since 1997-98. The second table shows the number of homes sold outright though the right to buy and preserved right to buy schemes by registered social landlords.
	
		
			  Number of homes sold outright under the right to acquire or under homebuy and other schemes by registered social landlords 
			   Outright sales— right to acquire  Homebuy and other sales( 1) 
			 1997-98 0 6,520 
			 1998-99 0 5,810 
			 1999-2000 0 3,150 
			 2000-01 20 2,550 
			 2001-02 40 2,210 
			 2002-03 110 2,320 
			 2003-04 240 3,620 
			 2004-05 410 5,860 
			 2005-06 470 8,700 
			 2006-07 570 11,020 
			 2007-08 540 15,040 
			 (1) Includes some outright sales through social homebuy.  Source:  Housing Corporation Investment Management System (IMS). 
		
	
	Figures showing the number of registered social landlord right to buy and preserved right to buy sales are shown in the following table. The Housing Corporation 'IMS' does not report on outright sales which do not involve grant, such as right to buy sales and preserved right to buy sales, so these figures are shown in an additional table because they are from a different data source.
	
		
			  Number of homes sold outright through the right to buy or preserved right to buy schemes by registered social landlords 
			   Outright RSL right to buy and preserved right  to buy sales 
			 1997-98 4,500 
			 1998-99 4,410 
			 1999-2000 7,250 
			 2000-01 7,100 
			 2001-02 8,220 
			 2002-03 10,470 
			 2003-04 14,530 
			 2004-05 8,670 
			 2005-06 6,360 
			 2006-07 4,840 
			 2007-08 3,150 
			 The figures show total sales of registered social landlords homes; they cannot be broken down according to whether the properties sold were new build or acquisitions.  Source:  Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR) submitted by RSLs to Housing Corporation.

Housing: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council homes have been improved to the decent homes standard in the London Borough of Enfield in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Information specific to the number of homes which have been improved to the Decent Homes Standard is not collected by the Department. However, the Department collects statistics on non-decent social sector local authority (LA) homes through the Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) annual return.
	These data are published by Communities and Local Government and can be obtained from the Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/localauthorityhousing/dataforms/357553/databyregion/
	
		
			  Number of local authority owned non-decent stock by year 
			  Enfield  Number 
			 2000-01 3,138 
			 2001-02 4,195 
			 2002-03 3,938 
			 2003-04 3,710 
			 2004-05 3,242 
			 2005-06 3,099 
			 2006-07 2,864 
			  Notes: 1. The BPSA is a non-statutory collection from local authorities. Figures are as reported. 2. 2007-08 data not yet available  Source: Local authority figures from the Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) as at 1 April each year. The collection commenced in 2001.

Housing: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable new homes have been built in Enfield North constituency in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Information on affordable homes by constituency is not available. The following table shows the number of new affordable homes built in Enfield local authority for each year from 1997-98. The figures include new build social rent and intermediate affordable housing; they exclude affordable housing acquisitions.
	
		
			  New affordable homes built in Enfield local authority 
			   New affordable homes built 
			 1997-98 90 
			 1998-99 140 
			 1999-2000 80 
			 2000-01 210 
			 2001-02 450 
			 2002-03 310 
			 2003-04 220 
			 2004-05 240 
			 2005-06 240 
			 2006-07 330 
			  Sources: Housing Corporation Investment Management System, and returns from local authorities to Communities and Local Government. 
		
	
	Not all affordable housing is provided by new build completions, as some supply can come from acquisitions. In 2006-07, an additional 160 affordable homes in Enfield local authority were provided by acquisitions which are not included in the figure above.

Housing: Floods

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria she will apply in terms of building on a flood plain in her consideration of the South West Regional Spatial Strategy.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State will take account of all relevant evidence that has come forward throughout the preparation of the regional spatial strategy (RSS), including the strategic flood risk assessment and any new evidence included in responses to the consultation on the RSS proposed changes. The proposed changes have also been subject to sustainability appraisal which has taken detailed account of the regional flood risk assessment while all such evidence will be considered against the Government's policy set out in Planning Policy Statement 25.

Local Government Services

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times her Department and its predecessors have used the powers of the Secretary of State to take over local authority services under the Local Government Act 1999.

Hazel Blears: This Department has used powers available to the Secretary of State under the Local Government Act 1999 to take over local authority services on two occasions. Hull was subject to a Direction in November 2003 following a second adverse corporate governance inspection. Hackney was subject to Directions issued in September 2001 and January 2002.

Local Government: Procurement

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest ranking on the barrier to housing and services domain on the index of multiple deprivation is of each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales in descending order and giving the name of each lower super output area included.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today (PQs 234939,234950, 234944, 234943, 234938, 234941 and 234942).

Multiple Occupation: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses of multiple occupation are  (a) registered and  (b) not registered in each of the 37 principal seaside towns in England.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally.

Non-domestic Rates

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from local businesses on the effect on payable rates of installing shutters, security cameras and other security measures.

John Healey: I am not aware of any recent representations to Ministers on this subject.

Non-domestic Rates: Business

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how long the Valuation Office took on average to decide a new rateable value for a business in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08.

John Healey: For cases involving normal updating of the rating lists in England and Wales—involving of the order of 250,000 cases per year—the average elapsed times in number of working days were as follows:
	
		
			   Days 
			  (a) 2005-06 22 
			  (b) 2006-07 17 
			  (c) 2007-08 11

Non-domestic Rates: Business

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with the Treasury on the Valuation Office's ability to increase business rates; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: None. The VOA has a statutory duty to compile and maintain accurate rating lists. Alterations to the rateable value of non-domestic properties are notified to the relevant billing authority who reassess liability for business rates and issue bills to ratepayers.
	I and my officials have however been in discussions with Treasury Ministers and officials over the position of businesses as a result of the VOA's Ports reviews.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what powers are available to the Valuation Office to make retrospective decisions on business rates for more than two past years;
	(2)  what authority the Valuation Office has to make its decisions retrospective.

John Healey: Valuation officers are required to maintain accurate rating lists. When they become aware a change is needed, they must make the alteration and also specify the date from which the change should be effective for rates charging purposes. The date of the change is governed by (legislative) regulations. Where the correction is to insert a property which existed on or before 1 April 2005, into the list, these require the alteration to be made from the start of the rating list, currently 1 April 2005. Valuation officers do not legally have discretion on the effective date.

Regional Development Agencies

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable for the designation of regional development agencies as regional planning bodies is; and whether additional legislation will be required to effect this change.

Iain Wright: The consultation on the Review of Sub National Economic Development and Regeneration included proposals to give regional development agencies, responsibility for regional planning. We intend to publish our response to that consultation shortly.

Regional Loans Partnerships

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding  (a) her Department and  (b) the Government Offices for the Regions have given to regional loans partnerships; and how many such partnerships exist.

Iain Wright: £10.2 billion has been allocated by my Department for 2008-11 for regional housing capital programmes including those which address the condition of private sector housing stock. Of this almost £2 billion is for improvements and regeneration to the existing stock (both local authority owned and private sector). We have issued guidance to Regional Assemblies which asks them to continue to prioritise those most in need with the expectation that packages of assistance including grants, loans, and equity release schemes are made available to individual homeowners.
	Any loans scheme receiving public funding should have the long-term objective of becoming self-financing. Schemes should not necessarily operate within a single government office geographical region but should build on existing good practice, and have regional or sub-regional coverage.
	The regions are at various stages of developing equity release and loan products.

Sleeping Rough: Cornwall

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were recorded as sleeping rough in Cornwall in each year since 1979.

Iain Wright: Annual rough sleeping figures have been collected since 1998 and are shown in the following table. These show the significant reductions in rough sleeping over the past 10 years.
	
		
			  Number of rough sleepers in Cornwall based on rough sleeper counts by individual local authorities 
			   District council  
			   Caradon  Carrick  Kerrier  North Cornwall  Penwith  Restormel  Total for Cornwall 
			 1998 3 3 3 0 17 10 36 
			 1999 3 3 3 0 17 10 36 
			 2000 1 3 3 0 0 10 17 
			 2001 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2002 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2003 0 0 0 0 11 0 11 
			 2004 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2005 1 1 0 2 6 1 11 
			 2006 1 1 0 2 4 1 9 
			 2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2008 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Social Housing Grants

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to allow councils to apply for social housing grants.

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many councils have applied for funding to buy vacant properties for local housing purposes in the last six months; and whether funding has been made available to local authorities on the same basis as to registered social landlords.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Members to our 2 September 2008 statement on the package of measures responding to housing market conditions which confirmed that the social housing grant would be opened up to all stock-owning local authorities as well as local authorities with arms length management organisations. We are working with the Housing Corporation on the practicalities and the timetable for delivering this. No local authorities have applied for funding so far.
	We have also introduced other measures to create incentives for councils to build and acquire new homes. S313 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 provides that councils can keep the full rental income from new council homes (including newly built and newly acquired properties). We also intend to make changes to the capital regulations, in order to allow councils to keep the full receipts from new council homes. We expect to consult shortly on the use of S313 power and the capital receipts regulations which aim to enable councils to benefit in full from rental income or sales receipts from properties that have been built or acquired since this planned change to these rules.

Social Services: Haringey

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what inspections the Audit Commission has undertaken of Haringey Council's social services department since 2000.

Hazel Blears: The chief executive of the Audit Commission has today written to the hon. Member explaining that although responsibility for inspecting social services lies primarily with other inspectorates, the Commission was represented on the Joint Area Review of children's services in Haringey that reported in October 2006. The findings of the Joint Area Review were reflected in the Commission's corporate assessment of Haringey council, also published in 2006.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many attacks there were by insurgents against British armed forces in Helmand province in Afghanistan in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

John Hutton: The number of direct engagements (regardless of the instigator) involving the international security assistance force (ISAF) and insurgents in Helmand province for the last three years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006 736 
			 2007 2,213 
			 2008 (as of 15 October) 1,475 
		
	
	ISAF forces operating in Helmand come from a number of different nations, which often operate closely alongside each other. These forces also operate very closely alongside Afghan Army and police units. Without undertaking a detailed assessment of each engagement, it is not possible precisely to define in every case whether an attack was aimed at UK forces, at our ISAF partners, or against Afghan units. Data are therefore collected on the number of incidents involving ISAF forces in Helmand without attempting to identify the nationality of the forces actually being attacked. The environment also makes it extremely difficult precisely to distinguish between incidents initiated by insurgent forces and those initiated by ISAF.
	These data are based on information derived from a number of sources and can only be an estimate, not least because of the difficulties in ensuring a consistent interpretation of the basis for collating statistics in a complex fast-moving multinational operational environment.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 622W, on Afghanistan, what his reasons were for not stating which of Helmand's districts are under the control of the International Security Assistance Force, the Afghan National Security Forces and the Government of Afghanistan.

John Hutton: holding answer 30 October 2008
	The Government of Afghanistan, Afghan national security forces and the international security assistance force maintain a significant presence across Helmand Province as referred to in my answer of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 622W.
	Counter-insurgency operations, like our operation in Afghanistan, are more complex in nature than traditional warfare. Control of territory is not simple to define in a situation with no easily identifiable front-line.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Snatch Land Rovers are in use in Helmand province; and how many have been written off in Afghanistan in the last three years.

John Hutton: holding answer 10 November 2008
	 I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Lynx and  (b) Gazelle helicopters are deployed in Afghanistan.

John Hutton: There are currently no Gazelle helicopters deployed in Afghanistan. I am withholding detailed information on the number of Lynx helicopters deployed to Afghanistan as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of the ordinance expended by UK armed forces in Afghanistan was in 2007-08.

John Hutton: We do not keep information specific to the cost of ordnance. In the year 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 expenditure in Afghanistan on Guided Weapons, Missiles and Bombs was £57 million and expenditure on Armament Stores, which included small arms ammunition and shells, was £121 million.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the anticipated cost of urgent operational requirements for the Tornado aircraft in order to meet theatre entry requirements for Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: The anticipated cost of urgent operational requirements for Tornado to meet theatre entry requirements for Afghanistan is up to £40 million.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Harrier aircraft is due to be withdrawn from Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: As announced by the then Secretary of State on 16 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 677-78, the Harrier force is due to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by spring 2009.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) pilots and  (b) ground crew of each trade are deployed in support of Harrier aircraft in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: There are 12 pilots and 86 ground crew deployed. The breakdown of ground crew personnel is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			  Aircraft engineering personnel  
			 Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic 42 
			   
			  Other ground personnel  
			 Avionics (including Weapons) 16 
			 Mechanics 19 
			 Engineering Officer 1 
			 Survival Equipment 2 
			 Administration 1 
			 Operations 4 
			 Intelligence 1

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) air crew and  (b) ground crew personnel will be deployed in support of the Tornado aircraft due to replace Harriers in Afghanistan.

John Hutton: It is planned that 24 aircrew and 122 ground crew will be deployed.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on urgent operational requirements for the Harrier force in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: A maximum of £42 million has been approved for spend on urgent operational requirements for the Harrier force in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Harrier force has been deployed continuously on operations since the start of Operation Telic.

Bob Ainsworth: The Harrier force has never been deployed on Operation Telic. However, Harrier aircraft have been deployed continuously on Operation Herrick since September 2004.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the participation of Harriers on Operation Herrick has had on their out-of-service date.

Bob Ainsworth: None. The Harrier out of service date remains 2018.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours per week on average Harriers have flown  (a) on Operation Herrick and  (b) on peace time training in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: Figures for the hours flown by Harrier aircraft are collated on a monthly basis. The flying statistics, for the last three months for which figures are available are detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Hours 
			  Months  Operation Herrick  Peacetime training 
			 August 2008 505 535 
			 September 2008 410 885 
			 October 2008 520 705 
			  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest five hours.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado aircraft would be required to undertake the close air support being provided by Harriers in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: 8 Tornado aircraft will replace the 8 Harrier aircraft deployed in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the Harrier force is being withdrawn from Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: As announced by the then Secretary of State on 16 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 677-78, the Harrier force has been continuously operational in Afghanistan since November 2004 and has proven time and again its value in defending the lives of our troops, our allies and those they are there to protect. Mindful of the strain that this extended deployment has put upon the crews, their families and the wider role of Joint Force Harrier we have decided to withdraw the Harriers from Afghanistan and replace them with an equivalent force of Tornado GR4s.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost additional to that of normal peacetime flying tasks of  (a) continuing to sustain eight Harrier GR9 aircraft on Operation Herrick and  (b) deploying and sustaining eight Tornado GR4 aircraft on Operation Herrick.

Bob Ainsworth: The financial costs for continuing to sustain eight Harrier GR9 on Operation Herrick are estimated to be £30 million p.a. This cost includes, for example, fuel, forward and depth maintenance, associated equipment support and is based on current levels of activity. The costs associated with sustaining eight Tornado GR4 on Operation Herrick are estimated to be £31 million p.a. on an equivalent basis. The cost of deploying Tornado GR4 to Operation Herrick is up to £40 million.
	Normal peacetime flying is reduced commensurate with the amount of flying conducted on the deployed operation.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the aircraft performance differences between Harrier and Tornado experienced during their deployment in Afghanistan over the summer months.

Bob Ainsworth: Tornado aircraft have yet to deploy to Afghanistan.

Armed Forces: Blood Transfusions

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent advice the Surgeon General has received on adopting pathogen inactivation for treating blood products for UK armed forces.

Kevan Jones: As I explained in my answer on 20 October 2008,  Official Report, column 120W, the majority of blood products used on deployed operations overseas by the Defence Medical Services is supplied by the UK National Blood Services, who also supply the NHS hospitals where service personnel are treated in the UK. The Surgeon General has received advice that current pathogen inactivation technology is not suitable for use in deployed UK operational facilities. He will continue to monitor developments in this area, including the practices adopted by our allies and the future review of pathogen inactivation that will be undertaken by the UK Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.

Armed Forces: Death

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps in cases of a death where a significant event analysis in primary care has been completed according to instructions outlined in Director General of Army Medical Services Policy Letter 62/03 are taken to make that analysis available to  (a) the commanding officer of the deceased,  (b) the service inquiry and  (c) HM Coroner.

Bob Ainsworth: The Commanding Officer receives limited medical information about an individual where this is justified in order to protect the patient, in accordance with the Director General of Army Medical Services Policy Letter 62-03.
	Once an individual has been designated at risk of suicide, he/she is placed on the unit Suicide Vulnerability Risk Management (SVRM) Register. A care assessment plan is also completed by the Commanding Officer. The Commanding Officer would therefore be aware of actions taken in primary care prior to a death.
	A service inquiry and HM Coroner may request and be provided with the medical information necessary for them to complete their investigations.

Armed Forces: Fire Services

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what resources his Department would make available in the event of a firefighters' strike.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1440W.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what pension is payable to a soldier who retired after 22 years in the British Army on 30 April 1997 as a sergeant in  (a) a Gurkha regiment and  (b) a regiment recruited in the UK.

Kevan Jones: The comparison requested is not possible as, under the then Gurkha Terms and Conditions of Service, a Gurkha sergeant would not serve beyond the 18 year point. He would have been awarded a pension under the Gurkha Pension Scheme, payable straight away, while his regular Army counterpart would have been awarded a preserved pension under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975 (AFPS 75) payable at age 60. Assuming that both individuals were aged 40 when they left, the ex-Gurkha sergeant would have received 20 years pension before his regular Army counterpart was entitled to receive his pension benefits.
	I should mention that under the new Gurkha Terms and Conditions of Service, all sergeants transferred to the same engagement as British personnel which means that they, too, could potentially serve to the 22 year point, with pension benefits under either AFPS 75 or AFPS 05, depending on which they chose.

Armed Forces: Resignations

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officers left the armed forces from  (a) the Army,  (b) the Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force in each year from 1997 to 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows the number of officers who left the armed forces in each financial year from 1997-98 to 2007-08:
	
		
			  Officer outflow to civilian life from UK Regular Forces 
			   All Services  Naval Service  Army  RAF 
			 1997-98 2,280 620 1,040 620 
			 1998-99 2,490 540 1,290 660 
			 1999-2000 2,290 570 1,120 600 
			 2000-01 2,290 480 1,150 660 
			 2001-02 2,300 530 1,090 670 
			 2002-03 2,070 510 980 580 
			 2003-04 2,040 470 950 620 
			 2004-05 2,310 510 1,100 700 
			 2005-06 2,290 520 1,070 700 
			 2006-07 2,680(1) 500(1) 1,330(1) 850 
			 2007-08 2,820(1) 580(1) 1,490(1) 760(1) 
			 (1) Denotes provisional. Due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration System, all Naval Service and Army flow statistics for financial year 2006-07 and 2007-08 and all RAF flow statistics for financial year 2007-08 are provisional and subject to review.  Notes: 1. Figures show outflow from UK Regular Forces including recalled reservists on release and outflow to the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment. The Royal Irish Regiment disbanded on 31 March 2008. 2. UK Regular Forces includes all trained and untrained personnel. Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists are excluded. 
		
	
	Due to the rounding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Armed Forces: Self-mutilation

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many revisions have been made to the Royal Military Police document Guidelines for Commanding Officers following an Incident of Self Harm since 2003; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of these guidelines.

Bob Ainsworth: The Royal Military Police Guidelines for Commanding Officers following an incident of self harm were withdrawn following the publication on 20 July 2006 of Army General and Administrative Instructions Chapter 110—The Suicide Vulnerability Risk Management (SVRM) Policy, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. They had not been revised prior to this.

Armed Forces: Self-mutilation

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what rank the military chain of command receives information from the Army Medical Service chain of command communicating confidential medical information on service personnel considered at risk of self-harm.

Bob Ainsworth: Disclosure guidelines for medical officers are set out in Policy Letter 62-03 (Army Suicide Prevention Policy: Guidelines for Medical Officers—Confidentiality and Consent) by the Director General of Army Medical Services. This states that, 'limited medical disclosure to the Commanding Officer may be justified to protect the patient'. A commanding officer would typically be of Lieutenant Colonel rank.
	I will place a copy of Policy Letter 62-03 in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Suicide

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of document AGAI 110 on suicide vulnerability risk management.

Bob Ainsworth: Yes, I will place a copy of Volume 3, Chapter 110 of the Army General Administrative Instruction (AGAI) which contains the Army Suicide Vulnerability Risk Management (SVRM) policy in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Suicide

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many case histories the Army Suicide Prevention Group has considered in each year since its inception; and what reports the Group has produced;
	(2)  on what date the Army Suicide Prevention Group examined the papers relating to the death of Lance Corporal Derek McGregor in Catterick barracks in 2003; and what recommendations the Group made following this examination.

Bob Ainsworth: The Army Suicide Prevention Working Group (ASPWG) does not examine or make recommendations or produce reports on individual cases.
	The ASPWG has three main functions:
	to shape the Army's self harm and suicide prevention policies and procedures;
	to promote awareness of self-harm and suicide prevention by developing training and educational programmes throughout the Army;
	and audit the delivery, application and effectiveness of self harm and suicide preventative measures.

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vehicles of each type in the armed forces are able to transport fuel; what the capacity of each is; and how many of each type of vehicle are  (a) in service and  (b) fit for purpose.

Bob Ainsworth: Details of the MOD bulk fuel carrying capabilities which are currently in service and fit for purpose are set out in the following table. Fit for purpose has been defined as being those vehicles which are capable of being used in whatever capacity they are required for.
	
		
			  Vehicle type  In service  Fit for purpose  Capacity (Litres) 
			 Combat Support Tanker (Fuel) (CST(F)) 218 218 20,000 
			 Combat Support Tanker Tactical Aircraft Refueller (CST TAR) 82 82 15,000 
			 32,000 Litre Fuel Tanker (TTF) 54 54 32,000 
			 Unit Bulk Refuelling Equipment (UBRE)(1) 425 425 2,100 
			4,200 
			6,300 
			 Unit Support Tanker (UST) 102 102 7,000 
			 Pennman Fuel Flatrack 10 10 10,000 
			 Truck Tanker Ground Fuel 19 15 5,000 
			 Truck Tanker Ground Fuel, Bulk Carrier 1 0 18,200 
			 Small Capacity Aircraft Refueller 29 29 5,000 
			 Small Capacity Aircraft Refueller 14 10 9,000 
			 Large Capacity Aircraft Refueller 35 30 18,200 
			 Large Capacity Aircraft Refueller 111 92 20,000 
			 Trailer Tanker 6 1 18,200 
			 Large Capacity Aircraft Refueller Trailer 63 47 24,000 
			 Out of Area Refueller 55 39 20,000 
			 Truck Fuel Servicing 39 39 5,000 
			 (1) The unit bulk refuelling equipment is carried by 4 tonne or 8 tonne cargo vehicles, which can carry two or three modules respectively, of 2,100 litres per module.

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons are for the time taken to develop protective equipment for service vehicles.

Quentin Davies: The time taken is dependent on the nature of the threat being addressed and the frequency with which the threat changes. Contributory factors include the level of technological complexity of the protective equipment and the difficulty of integrating the solution onto the base vehicle.

Astute Class Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated  (a) completion and  (b) in-service date is for each of the planned Astute-class submarines.

Quentin Davies: The MOD currently plans to procure seven Astute submarines. Four submarines are on contract, and in various stages of production at BAE Systems Submarine Solutions facilities at Barrow-in-Furness.
	The planned in-service-dates for HMS Astute, the First of Class, Ambush, Artful and Audacious are subject to continuing detailed review by MOD, BAE Systems and other key stakeholders.

AWE Aldermaston

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the management consortium of the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston, AWEML, has played in responding to the improvement notice served by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive on 3 April 2008.

Quentin Davies: Through its contract with the Ministry of Defence, AWEML is responsible for the safety of operations at AWE sites. This it discharges through its subsidiary, AWE plc, which holds the necessary Nuclear Site Licences and discharge authorisations issued by the external regulators. AWEML provides strategic guidance and direction to AWE plc, particularly in respect of safety and compliance with the regulatory regime. The AWEML board includes an independent safety director, who is engaged specifically to help ensure the correct emphasis and priorities are brought to bear on safety matters at AWE.
	With regard to the Improvement Notice issued on 3 April 2008, AWEML scrutinised and endorsed the plan agreed between AWE plc and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in response to the issues raised. The AWEML board will be closely monitoring AWE plc's progress to ensure that the plan is achieved.

Ballistic Missile Defence

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the UK's role in the American missile defence programme is; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The UK provides support to the US missile defence programme by allowing both early warning information from the radar at RAF Fylingdales, and early warning satellite data via a satellite downlink at RAF Menwith Hill, to be routed into the US missile defence command and control system. The UK also has a well-established missile defence technical co-operation programme with the US.

Colombia: Armed Forces

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has provided military training to personnel of the 14th Brigade of the Colombian army; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 99W to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones).

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Oral Answer to the urgent question from the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorkshire, of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 121-30, on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), what military contingencies are being considered for the deployment of UK armed forces personnel to DRC.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 10 November 2008
	 We are carrying out contingency planning across a range of scenarios relating to the Congo.
	We will consider all requests for additional support from the United Nations, but large scale deployments are unlikely in view of our operational commitments elsewhere.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of maintaining his Department's website for the 2007-08 financial year; and what the forecast costs for maintaining websites within his responsibility are in the 2008-09 financial year.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence and armed forces collectively maintain four corporate websites. Identified direct expenditure on running these in the financial year 2007-2008 was as follows:
	
		
			  Website  URL  FY 2007-08  (£)  Forecast of costs FY  2008-09( 1)  (£) 
			 MOD Corporate website(2) www.mod.uk 325,600 330,000 
			 Royal Navy(3) www.royalnavy.mod.uk 283,000 283,000 
			 British Army(4) www.army.mod.uk 150,000 100,000 
			 Royal Air Force(5) www.raf.mod.uk 155,000 140,000 
			 (1) Forecast costs for 2008-09 are based on the best available information. (2) Figures include staff costs, hosting, licences and maintenance contracts. (3) Costs of site maintenance, staff costs and hosting the RN site. (4) Figures reflect hosting, licences, development costs and for FY 2007-08 site re-launch activities. Staff costs are not included as these are shared. Both figures are inclusive of VAT. (5) Maintenance figures only not including the cost of building new areas on the site or update projects. 
		
	
	The following are the websites for which MOD is responsible, based on an update to the Central Office of Information on 29 Aug 2008.
	
		
			  Website  URL  Forecast of costs FY 2008-09( 1)  (£) 
			 Acquisition Operating Framework www.aof.mod.uk (1)195,000 
			 Admiralty Leisure www.admiraltyleisure.co.uk (2)— 
			 Army Fit www.armyfit.mod.uk n/a 
			 Army Online www.armyonline.mod.uk n/a 
			 British Army Jobs www.armyjobs.mod.uk n/a 
			 British Forces Post Office www.bfpo.mod.uk 2,905 
			 Camouflage www.camouflage.mod.uk n/a 
			 Chief Scientific Advisor www.science.mod.uk 16,800 
			 Competition of Ideas www.ideas.mod.uk (3)— 
			 Grand Challenge www.challenge.mod.uk (3)— 
			 Counter Terrorism Centre www.ctcentre.mod.uk n/a 
			 DCSA Catalogue (now ICS Catalogue) www.dcsacat.mod.uk  
			  (www.icscat.mod.uk) (4)750 
			 Defence Academy www.defac.ac.uk 17,250 
			 Defence Analytical Services Agency www.dasa.mod.uk (4)21,600 
			 Defence Dynamics www.defencedynamics.mod.uk 13,000 
			 Defence Engineering and Science Group www.desg.mod.uk 360 
			 Defence Estates www.defence-estates.mod.uk (5)— 
			 Defence Export Services Organisation www.deso.mod.uk n/a 
			 Defence Image Database www.defenceimagedatabase.mod.uk n/a 
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory www.dstl.gov.uk n/a 
			 Defence Support Group(7) www.dsg.mod.uk 40,000 
			 Disposal Services Authority www.edisposals.com 257,810 
			 Met Office www.metoffice.gov.uk 655,348 
			 MOD Procurement Portal www.contract.mod.uk n/a 
			 National Army Museum (NAM) www.national-army-museum.ac.uk n/a 
			 National Employer Advisory Board www.sabre.mod.uk n/a 
			 Service Children's Education www.sceschools.com/new n/a 
			 Service Personnel and Veterans Agency www.veterans-uk.info 32,483 
			 Soldier www.soldier.mod.uk n/a 
			 UK Defence Standardisation www.dstan.mod.uk 15,000 
			 UK Hydrographic Office www.ukho.gov.uk 197,568 
			 Admiralty charts and publications www.nmwebsearch.com (2)— 
			 Schools—Defence Dynamics www.schools.defencedynamics.mod.uk (6)— 
			 n/a = not available (1) Includes intranet costs (2) Included in costs for UKHO (3) Now incorporated into www.science.mod.uk (4) Does not include staff costs (5) Included in costs for www.mod.uk + £110 per year for dial-up costs (6) Now incorporated into www.defencedynamics.mod.uk (7) Defence Support Group (DSG) was born of the merger of ABRO and DARA on 1 April 2008. (The annualised cost of maintaining the site is estimated at £40,000).

Departmental Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for which Government websites his Department is responsible; how many visitors each received in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost of maintaining each site was in that period.

Bob Ainsworth: The information is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Website  URL  Cost FY 2007-08 (£)  Visitors 
			 Acquisition Operating Framework www.aof.mod.uk n/a 3.376 million page requests for FY 2008-09 to date 
			 Admiralty Leisure www.admiraltyleisure.co.uk Included in cost for UKHO 75,656 October 2007 to October 2008 
			 Army Fit www.armyfit.mod.uk n/a 2,128,812 (page views) 
			 Army Online www.armyonline.mod.uk n/a n/a 
			 British Army www.army.mod.uk £150,000 8,472,991 
			 British Army Jobs www.armyjobs.mod.uk £266,749 27,978,203 (page views) 
			 British Forces Post Office www.bfpo.mod.uk £3,295 n/a 
			 Camouflage www.camouflage.mod.uk n/a 859,146 (page views) 
			 Chief Scientific Advisor www.science.mod.uk (1)— n/a 
			 Competition of Ideas www.ideas.mod.uk £42,000 n/a 
			 Grand Challenge www.challenge.mod.uk £2,000 n/a 
			 Counter Terrorism Centre www.ctcentre.mod.uk n/a 17,123 (over last 12 months) 
			 DCSA Catalogue (now ICS Catalogue) www.dcsacat.mod.uk (www.icscat.mod.uk) £881.90 (does not include staff costs) 80,000 page requests for the one page where a 'hit counter' is installed 
			 Defence Academy www.defac.ac.uk £17,250 (31 October 2007 to November 2008) 1,020,128 
			 Defence Analytical Services Agency www.dasa.mod.uk £21,600 (does not include staff costs) 22,693 (August to October 2008) 
			 Defence Dynamics(2) www.defencedynamics.mod.uk £22,000 (1 October 2007 to 31 March 2008) 1,549,220 (number of 'hits' 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2008) 
			 Defence Engineering and Science Group www.desg.mod.uk £360 78,000 
			 Defence Estates www.defence-estates.mod.uk Included in costs for www.mod.uk Site averages 2,000 hits per day since September 
			 Defence Export Services Organisation www.deso.mod.uk n/a n/a 
			 Defence Image Database www.defenceimagedatabase.mod.uk n/a n/a 
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory www.dstl.mod.uk n/a 624,611 (over last 12 months) 
			 Defence Support Group(3) www.dsg.mod.uk £23,333 April to October 2008 25,329 April to October 2008 
			 Disposal Services Authority www.edisposals.com £255,810 183,241 
			 Met Office www.metoffice.gov.uk £569,278 232,938,512 (page views) 
			 Ministry of Defence www.mod.uk £325,600 4,336,104 
			 MOD Procurement Portal www.contracts.mod.uk n/a n/a 
			 National Army Museum (NAM) www.national-army-museum.ac.uk n/a n/a 
			 National Employer Advisory Board www.sabre.mod.uk £28,975 (staff costs not included) 65,669 
			 RAF www.raf.mod.uk £155,000 6,216,030 
			 Royal Navy www.royalnavy.mod.uk £283,000 4,369,726 
			 Service Children's Education www.sceschools.com/new €2,000 10,360,831 (This is number of 'hits' for November 2007 to October 2008) 
			 Service Personnel and Veterans Agency www.veterans-uk.info £31,736 696,135 
			 Soldier www.soldier.mod.uk n/a n/a 
			 UK Defence Standardisation www.dstan.mod.uk £3,608 (1 January to 31 May 2008) 84,193 (1 January to 31 May 2008)) 
			 UK Hydrographic Office www.ukho.gov.uk £197,568 FY 2008-09 373,077 October 2007 to October 2008 
			 Admiralty charts and publications www.nmwebsearch.com Included in cost for UKHO 48,191 October 2007 to October 2008 
			 Schools—Defence Dynamics www.schools.defencedynamics.mod.uk n/a n/a 
			 n/a = Not available.  (1 )Not applicable.  (2) The Defence Dynamics site launched in October 2007; figures provided are from 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2008 and do not include the cost of the original site build or the cost of producing lessons to be displayed on the site as these are not considered to be site 'maintenance' expenses.  (3) Defence Support Group (DSG) was born of the merger of ABRO and DARA on 1 April 2008. (The annualised cost of maintaining the site is estimated at £40,000)

EC Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the creation of  (a) a separate EU military headquarters and  (b) a European rapid reaction force.

John Hutton: I have had no discussions with my French counterpart on either of these points.

EC Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the UK's share of the approved budget for EUFOR Tchad/CAR is according to the EU's Special Committee ATHENA; and how much had been paid as of 10 November 2008.

John Hutton: The UK's share of the approved budget for EUFOR Tchad/CAR according to the EU's ATHENA financing mechanism, is 17.14 per cent.; as of 10 November 2008 the UK has paid £13.9 million.

EU Carrier Group

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on participation in the EU Carrier Group; which  (a) Royal Navy and  (b) Fisheries Protection Squadron vessels he expects to participate in the Group's activities; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: My right hon. Friend, Baroness Taylor, the Minister, with responsibility for international defence and security with responisbility attended the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on 10 November where she signed the declaration of intent to establish a European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative on behalf of the UK.
	This is a high level declaration of intent aiming to increase interoperability between countries operating aircraft carriers or with naval vessels able to support carrier operations. There is no intention to create a standing carrier group and as such no standing commitment of either Royal Navy or fishery protection vessels is envisaged.

Ex-servicemen: Mental Health

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will include a mental health assessment in discharge medical reports for retiring servicemen and women.

Kevan Jones: A discharge medical assessment is undertaken 90 days prior to discharge. This detailed examination is undertaken by a doctor and the results are recorded on an F Med 1 form. The F Med 1 contains a specific assessment of the mental capacity and emotional stability of the individual. A re-assessment is carried out at seven days prior to discharge to ensure there have been no changes.
	A summary of each individual's medical history whilst in the armed forces, including the results of the discharge medical, is contained in an F Med 133 form which is given to the individual to pass on to their civilian GP. The F Med 133 also contains information on how the GP can gain access to the individual's complete service medical records if required.

Frigates

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answers of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1632W and 6 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 677-78W, when the decision was taken to extend the service life of the Type 22 and Type 23 Frigates; how much such an extension to their service lives will cost; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 13 November 2008
	 Adjustments either to extend or shorten the assumed service lives of the Royal Navy's Type 22 and Type 23 Frigates have been made in several recent planning rounds. In most cases the financial impact of these adjustments has fallen beyond the planning period in question and hence the net cost or saving to the defence budget has not been estimated in any detail.

Gulf of Aden: Piracy

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment his Department has made of the risks to UK-flagged merchant vessels from piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

Bob Ainsworth: The Government's stance on piracy has moved to a more proactive stance where Royal Navy units are conducting counter-piracy missions through Combined Task Force 150, NATO and the forthcoming EU mission. Advice and guidance to UK-flagged merchant ships is issued by the Department for Transport. We continue actively to monitor the situation through our units in the region, the UK Maritime Trade Organisation in Dubai and the UK Maritime Component Command Headquarters in Bahrain.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether representatives of Her Majesty's Armed Forces have held meetings with Jaish-al-Mahdi independently of the Iraqi government during 2008;
	(2)  pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 304W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, whether the discussions with representatives of Jaish-al-Mahdi included the matter of prisoner release.

John Hutton: In 2007, with the full knowledge and support of our Coalition partners and the Iraqi Government, UK forces conducted a dialogue with a range of militia leaders in Basra, including Jaish al-Mahdi. All discussions between UK forces and unreconciled groups have been conducted as part of the shared reconciliation strategy of the Coalition and the Government of Iraq and this national reconciliation strategy includes a scheme for prisoner release. Across Iraq, dialogue continues between the Coalition, the Government of Iraq and unreconciled groups.

Military Aircraft

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the technical ground abort rate was for  (a) Harrier and  (b) Tornado aircraft in (i) operational and (ii) non-operational environments in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Aircraft

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long it takes to scramble the  (a) Harrier GR9 and  (b) Tornado GR4 from the time of requirement to the notification of the aircraft, when those aircraft are held on GCAS alert.

Bob Ainsworth: The International Security Assistance (ISAF) requirements for Ground Close Air Support (GCAS) alert are met by both aircraft. I am withholding details of the time it takes to scramble these aircraft, as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Military Aircraft

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what offensive and defensive capabilities the Harrier GR9 has additional to those held by the Tornado GR4; and when the Tornado GR4 will be fitted with these capabilities.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no significant differences in the offensive and defensive capabilities provided by the two aircraft. Like Harrier, the Tornados deploying to Afghanistan will be equipped with theatre specific enhancements. These are being taken forward urgently for the planned deployment next year.

Military Attachés

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) expenditure on and  (b) number of defence attachés was in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: The expenditure on attachés for each year since 2003 is shown in Table 1. Individual attaché costs cannot be disaggregated from the overall budget dating back to 2003 as the associated support costs are given as an overall total for the Defence attaché budget. These additional costs include support staff, travel and subsistence, medical and dental costs and provision for the cost of living allowance for each country.
	The number of attachés for each year since 2003 is shown in Table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  £ million 
			 2003-04 30.040 
			 2004-05 30.791 
			 2005-06 31.030 
			 2006-07 29.373 
			 2007-08 29.707 
			  Notes: 1. The Defence Section in Afghanistan opened in November 2007. There are no costs available from that date as the Defence Section is funded through operational funds which cannot be disaggregated from the overall budget. 2. These costs include estimated costs for personnel funded by the single service funds which cannot be disaggregated from their overall budgets. 3. Final costs for financial year 2008-09 will not be available until after 31 March 2009. 4. All the costs in the table exclude pre-post preparation training costs that fall to the single service budgets; these are assessed to be in the order of £8.7 million at FY 2007-08 prices. 5. All the costs in the table are at their respective financial year prices. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Country  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1) 
			 Afghanistan(2) 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Albania 1 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Algeria3 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Angola 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Argentina 2 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Australia 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Austria(3) 1 1 1 1 1 3 
			 Bahrain 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bangladesh 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Belgium 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barbados(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Brazil(3) 2 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Brunei(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bulgaria 2 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Canada 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Chile(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 China(3) 2 2 2 3 3 3 
			 Colombia(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Congo, Democratic Republic of(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Croatia 1 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Cyprus 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Czech Republic 2 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Denmark 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Egypt 2 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Ethiopia(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Finland(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 France 3 3 3 3 3 2 
			 Georgia(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Germany(2) 4 4 4 3 3 3 
			 Ghana(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Greece 2 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Guatemala 1 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Hungary 2 1 1 1 1 0 
			 India(5) 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Indonesia(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Iraq 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Ireland 1 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Israel 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Italy(3) 3 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Jamaica(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Japan 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Jordan 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Kazakhstan(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Kenya(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Korea 2 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Kuwait 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Latvia 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Lebanon 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Lithuania 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Macedonia 1 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Malaysia(3) 2 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Morocco(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Nepal(2) 1 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Netherlands(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 New Zealand(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Nigeria 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Norway 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Oman 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Pakistan(6) 2 2 2 2 2 3 
			 Philippines 1 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Poland 2 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Portugal(4) 1 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Qatar 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Romania(3) 2 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Russia(3) 6 6 6 6 6 5 
			 Saudi Arabia 3 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Serbia3 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Sierra Leone(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Singapore 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Slovakia 2 2 2 2 1 0 
			 Slovenia 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 South Africa(3) 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Spain 2 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Sri Lanka 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Sudan 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Sweden 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Switzerland 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Syria 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Thailand 1 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Turkey 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Uganda(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Ukraine 2 2 2 2 2 1 
			 United Arab Emirates 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 United States of America 8 8 8 8 8 8 
			 UK Mission to UN New York 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Uzbekistan 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Venezuela 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Yemen 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Zimbabwe(3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Totals 129 125 127 124 119 105 
			  Notes: 1. Correct figures as at 7 November 2008 2 Attachés that are funded by operational funds or the Single Services. 3 These attachés have non-residential accreditation responsibilities in other countries. 4 These countries' attachés are resident in London  5 Two Senior advisers (the Defence and Military Adviser and the Naval and Air Adviser) are supported by an Assistant Defence Adviser 6 Two Senior advisors (the Defence and Military Adviser and the Naval and Air Adviser) are supported by an Assistant Defence Adviser. An additional adviser is now at post in the role of Assistant Military Adviser.

Military Police

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the Royal Military Police has activated a Home Office Large Major Enquiry System Major Incident Room since Her Majesty's Inspectorate's recommendation of April 2006.

Bob Ainsworth: The Royal Military Police have activated the Home Office Large Major Inquiry System once during an investigation into the death of Lance Corporal Alipate Naitaukei Tuisawau in Germany in 2007.

Military Police

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Royal Military Police major crime case review policy published in the Provost Manual in October 2006; and if he will place a copy of the policy in the Library.

Bob Ainsworth: Police criminal case reviews are conducted to identify and develop opportunities to progress an investigation; to act as a form of quality assurance in relation to the content and process of an investigation; and to identify, develop and disseminate good investigative practice. The Royal Military Police's (RMP) Review Policy for Serious Criminal Investigations and Critical Incidents explains why, when, how and by whom the RMP's review process will be conducted. The Review Policy was published on 1 November 2006 and I will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Nuclear Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what year each successor submarine for the next generation of the nuclear deterrent is planned to enter service.

Quentin Davies: As previously stated, the first of the new class of submarines is forecast to enter service in around 2024. Also, as explained in the December 2006 White Paper 'The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent', a final decision on the number of submarines that will be procured will be made when we know more about their detailed design. That decision will determine the timetable for entry into service of further submarines.

Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the effects on the  (a) size,  (b) force structure,  (c) manning and  (d) annual flying task of the Harrier force which would result from committing the Tornado GR4 Force to the Operation Herrick and Operation Telic theatres concurrently.

Bob Ainsworth: There are currently no plans to alter the size, force structure, manning and annual flying task of the Harrier Force as the result of the concurrent deployment of the Tornado GR4 Force to Operation Herrick and Operation Telic.

Piracy

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Royal Navy spent on activities to counter piracy in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: Counter piracy is conducted as part of routine Royal Navy Maritime Security tasking on a continuous basis. It is not currently recorded as a discreet activity.

Piracy

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps he has taken to ensure that UK-flagged merchant vessels are protected from piracy.

Bob Ainsworth: The Government's stance on piracy has recently been reviewed. This has resulted in a move to a more proactive posture whereby Royal Navy (RN) units in the region will actively seek out pirates, and we have issued them with more robust guidance to deal with any pirates encountered. The RN will contribute to counter-piracy operations through three international efforts.
	The UK is already engaged in efforts to combat acts of piracy off Somalia, through the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, which has established a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) in the Gulf of Aden. CTF 150 units in this area, including RN vessels, are actively conducting operations to counter de-stabilising activities primarily aimed at deterring and disrupting acts of piracy against merchant vessels of all nations.
	Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, including attached RN units, has also deployed to the region with a mandate which allows it to conduct counter-piracy operations from mid-October. NATO is considering the ways in which this mandate can be implemented including the escorting of World Food Programme shipping into port in Mogadishu.
	We have also supported EU planning for a counter-piracy naval operation off the coast of Somalia, and on 14 October the EU Political and Security Committee decided to accept the offer made by the UK to provide the Operation Commander (Rear Admiral Phil Jones) and the Operation HQ (the Multinational Headquarters at Northwood). On 10 November EU Foreign and Defence Ministers met at the General Affairs and External Relations Council and agreed a joint action to set up the operation. A separate decision is expected in December to launch the operation. The UK offer is subject to sufficient forces being generated for an operation likely to begin in December.

RAF Welford

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long the interim complement of the Ministry of Defence Police Agency will be stationed at RAF Welford.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence Police will not be withdrawn from RAF Welford until the necessary security enhancements have been put in place at the base by the United States visiting force. This includes removing munitions that are currently stored in the open.
	Officials are monitoring the situation and are in close contact with the United States visiting force.

Snatch Land Rovers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) financial and  (b) EU regulatory factors were considered when deciding to use Snatch Land Rovers; and whether alternative US-produced vehicles were assessed against the same criteria.

Quentin Davies: The decision to deploy Snatch Land Rovers on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan took into account a range of factors, including the nature of the mission and the theatre specific threats at the time. Given that these vehicles were already available in our inventory, no EU regulatory or "financial factors" applied. As my right hon. Friend, the Defence Secretary's written statement on 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 28-30WS made clear, senior operational commanders were clear that they need a vehicle of the size, weight and profile of Snatch Land Rover, capable of transporting men, to fulfil their tasks in theatre.
	We have set in train a programme to carry out a series of modifications to enhance Snatch's mobility and protection. This effectively generates a new variant, Snatch Vixen, which will offer the highest levels of protection for its size and weight class.

Snatch Vixen

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the unladen weight is of  (a) the Snatch Vixen and  (b) each of its variants.

Quentin Davies: I am withholding the information requested, as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Submarines: Safety

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the safety of fire suppressant gas used in Royal Navy submarines.

Bob Ainsworth: All materials introduced to Royal Navy (RN) submarines, including fire suppressant gases, are subject to a rigorous and robust toxicity assessment process.
	The design of RN submarine systems is such that any leak would be quickly detected and emergency actions taken, including the use of back up breathing systems, before the atmosphere within the submarine became un-breathable.
	The fire suppressant gases used in RN submarines are halon 1301, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The quantities of halon and carbon dioxide held onboard are such that, even if the total volume is discharged into the submarine atmosphere, it remains safe to breathe. Nitrogen is not a toxic gas, but has the potential to asphyxiate if there is sufficient volume. The risks associated with nitrogen have, however, been assessed against the safeguards in system design and mitigating procedures, and are as low as reasonably practicable.

Trafalgar Class Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what year the final Trafalgar-class submarine will go out of service.

Bob Ainsworth: On present plans, which are routinely updated as required, the last Trafalgar class submarine to be withdrawn from service will be HMS Triumph in 2022.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) nature and  (b) duration of the assistance provided by Royal Navy vessels to the Turks and Caicos Islands was in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

Bob Ainsworth: Royal Navy vessels HMS Iron Duke and RFA Wave Ruler provided humanitarian assistance to Turks and Caicos in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike for a period of five days. Teams from both vessels were ashore during this period helping repair infrastructure. At the same time, assets from HMS Iron Duke and Wave Ruler undertook a damage assessment of the islands as well as transporting fuel, water and supplies to some outlying islands.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what work has been carried out continuously to record the gapping of ships;
	(2)  how many ships have experienced gapping during the last 12 months; and what  (a) ships and  (b) percentages were involved.

Bob Ainsworth: Detailed statistics of manpower gapping for individual Royal Navy ships are not recorded centrally. Manning levels of ships are adjusted according to their task. They routinely operate gapped posts, but the operational task on which a ship is deployed (or for which it is being generated) will determine its manning priority profile. This ensures that the unit has the appropriate manpower for the task.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) surface ships,  (b) submarines and  (c) auxiliary vessels are available for deployment; and what the equivalent numbers were in 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: The following figures indicate the number of vessels in service with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary as at 1 April of each year. All vessels in service at any given time are available for deployment at periods of notice appropriate to their states of readiness:
	
		
			   Surface ships  Submarines  Auxiliary vessels 
			 2008 74 13 (1)16 
			 1997 101 15 21 
			 (1) An additional six roll-on/roll-off vessels available for charter when required.

Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current tasks set by his Department are for the Royal Navy's  (a) destroyers and frigates and  (b) submarines; and how many of each of these classes of warship are required to be on station to fulfil each task.

Bob Ainsworth: The current tasks for destroyers, frigates and submarines are as shown.
	I have included the number of destroyers and frigates on station but I am withholding detailed information on the numbers of submarines on task as its release would, or would be likely to prejudice national security.
	
		
			  DD/FF current tasks  Number on station 
			 Op TELIC (Nth Arabian Gulf) One permanently committed 
			 Op CALASH (Indian Ocean —counter terrorism and capacity building coalition) One permanently committed 
			 NATO Response Force One nominated and permanently assigned to a standing force 
			 Atlantic Patrol Task (South) One permanently committed 
			 Support to Strategic Deterrence One nominated, at extremely high readiness and activated when required 
			 Atlantic Patrol Task (North) One core hurricane season only (May to November) 
			 Integrity of the UK Three nominated, one immediate, two extremely high readiness and activated when required 
			 ESDP Counter Piracy One temporarily assigned pending confirmation of the requirement 
			   
			  Submarines  
			 Strategic Intelligence — 
			 Support to Strategic Deterrence — 
			 Integrity of the UK — 
			 Op TELIC and CALASH — 
			 Falkland Islands Contingency — 
		
	
	The number of units on station does not reflect the generation factors which are the number of hulls essential to produce the required units for each station. These factors vary and are dependent on whether a task is rouled (continuous) or non-rouled. The figures also exclude the units held at very high readiness for contingent operations.

TREASURY

Audit: Standards

Frank Dobson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with  (a) individual firms of accountants and (b) representatives of the accountancy profession of the standard of auditing of the accounts of (i) Northern Rock, (ii) Bradford and Bingley, (iii) HBOS and (iv) Royal Bank of Scotland respectively.

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Bank of England: Accountability

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Bank of England's executive will be accountable to the Financial Stability Committee.

Ian Pearson: The Financial Stability Committee will be established as a sub-committee of the Court of Directors of the Bank of England. The committee will include all the executive members of the Court, and will be chaired by the Governor. In addition to the Bank's executive, the Committee will include a majority non-executive membership, bringing outside expertise and insight to the Committee. Executives, and the Financial Stability Committee as a whole, will be accountable to the Court—the Bank's governing body—for their performance.

Bank Services

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the sums of money  (a) frozen and  (b) otherwise unavailable to depositors held in (i) Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander Ltd, (ii) Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) and (iii) Landsbanki;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of accounts in Icelandic banks which have been  (a) frozen and  (b) otherwise rendered inaccessible as a result of the operation of the Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008; and what estimate he has made of the sums involved;
	(3)  how many assets owned by Icelandic proprietors have been frozen under the terms of the Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008 and related Ministerial decisions; and which Minister in his Department is responsible for matters relating to Icelandic banks in the UK;
	(4)  what the reason was for the time taken to issue his Department's financial sanctions notice of 17 October 2008 on the Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008 following the issue of the initial notice on 8 October 2008; and for what reason it was necessary to clarify that only the funds of Landsbanki were the subject of the Order;
	(5)  what steps he took to ensure that imports of fish from Iceland could be paid for by bank transfer after 17 October 2008; what steps his Department took to ensure that the contents of the statement of that date on Icelandic banks were communicated to bank branches and other financial institutions handling payments for fish imports; and what steps he took  (a) before and  (b) after 17 October 2008 to ensure that banks remitted payment for fish imports to Icelandic banks;
	(6)  when he was made aware that UK banks were prohibited from transferring money to Iceland in payment for imports of Icelandic fish; what steps he took in consequence; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  what  (a) warnings were given to the government of Iceland and  (b) consultations he had with the government of Iceland before the freezing of Icelandic bank accounts under the Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008; and what prior notice he gave of his intention to make the order;
	(8)  for what reason he took action against the assets of Landsbanki Bank using powers under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

Ian Pearson: On 8 October HM Government made the Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008. This requires all persons in the UK (and UK persons elsewhere) to freeze funds owned, held or controlled by Landsbanki, including those owned held or controlled in relation to Landsbanki by certain Icelandic Authorities or the Government of Iceland. The Order was made because the Icelandic Government, its authorities and Landsbanki appeared to be on the brink of action which would be to the detriment of the UK economy, including detrimental treatment of UK depositors.
	The effect of the Order is that all funds owned, held or controlled by Landsbanki in the UK are frozen. Landsbanki funds may only be released from frozen accounts in the UK under the authority of a licence granted by HMT. No freezing orders have been made in respect of other Icelandic banks.
	The Order was made under a power contained in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. This Act includes a broad range of provisions and is not only about countering terrorism. The power enables the Treasury to make a freezing order where the Treasury reasonably believe that action to the detriment of the UK economy (or part of it) has been or is likely to be taken by a foreign government or resident of a foreign country or territory. As we have made clear the UK's action was not taken on the basis of the anti-terrorism provisions in the Act.
	As envisaged by the 2001 Act, the Landsbanki Freezing Order also gives the Treasury power to licence exceptions to the freeze. Granting licences is an integral part of the Treasury's ongoing role in relation to the freezing order, in particular, in minimising potential harmful consequences, while providing the necessary safeguards.
	The Treasury's approach has been to publish general licences and guidance to deal with industry concerns. A general licence was granted on 9 October. This dealt with the concern of allowing the London branch of Landsbanki to continue its commercial finance operations, on which a number of UK businesses depend for their immediate cash flow. This licence also confirmed a broad range of transactions that were permitted, including that third parties could set-off and net out arrangements where Landsbanki was the counterparty. A further licence was granted on 13 October, to provide reassurance to a wide range of market participants who might otherwise be in a position of dealing with frozen funds.
	In response to inquiries received, the Treasury published a series of notices to ensure the scope of the Freezing Order was clear to UK financial institutions. The notice published on 17 October provided detailed guidance and reiterated that other Icelandic banks and companies were not affected by the Freezing Order. It was published on the Treasury's website and was also sent to financial institutions in the UK via the financial sanctions e-mail notification service.
	In response to a request from certain financial institutions, the Treasury granted a licence on 7 November in relation to securities settlement through exchanges where there is no central counterparty.
	In addition, the Treasury liaised with the major UK banks to ensure that the freezing order was not preventing payments to Icelandic companies; discussed individual transactions with banks that advised transactions had been blocked because of the Order; and made clear that the Order does not prohibit UK banks from transferring money to Iceland in payment for imports of Icelandic fish (as long as they are not unlicensed "frozen funds").
	The Chancellor announced the Order was being made in his statement to the House on the morning of 8 October. As is generally the case in relation to asset freezes, prior notice was not given to the persons designated under the Order, so as not to prompt asset flight.

Bank Services

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the basis was for his statement of 8 October 2008 that the Icelandic government had no intention of paying compensation to UK investors in Icelandic bank accounts.

Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Friend to the comments the Chancellor of the Exchequer made at the Treasury Select Committee hearing in response to the hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Mr. Fallon's) question (Q116) on 3 November.

Bank Services

Peter Bottomley: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the situation of UK depositors in  (a) the Isle of Man and  (b) the Channel Island branches of Kaupthing Bank; what protection applies to deposits in such financial institutions made by British citizens resident (i) in and (ii) outside the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: In line with usual constitutional arrangements, the UK Government will represent the Crown Dependencies in their negotiations with Iceland.
	However, arrangements for depositors in banks in the Isle of Man remain a matter for the Government of the Isle of Man. Deposits with Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, Isle of Man, will be subject to the Isle of Man Deposit Compensation Scheme.
	Arrangements for depositors in banks in the Channel Islands are a matter for the Government of the Channel Islands.
	The Financial Services Compensation Scheme would pay compensation to eligible claimants up to the limit of £50,000 per person per authorised institution in the UK. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme does not cover deposits with banks outside the UK other than deposits with branches of UK banks established in other EEA states under EEA rights. Other deposits, including those made by UK residents or by British citizens resident outside the UK would be covered by any locally operated deposit-guarantee schemes.
	Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Bank Services: Iceland

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps he has taken to assist those with money deposited in Icelandic banks.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Chancellor on 8 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 279-80.

Bank Services: Iceland

Michael Ancram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions were held with the Icelandic government before freezing the assets of Icelandic banks and businesses.

Ian Pearson: On 8 October HM Government made the Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008. The effect of the Order is that all funds owned, held or controlled by Landsbanki in the UK are frozen. Landsbanki funds may only be released from frozen accounts in the UK under the authority of a licence granted by HMT. No freezing orders have been made in respect of other Icelandic banks.
	Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Bank Services: Local Government

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to extend to local authorities the same level of assurances regarding funds deposited with Landsbanki as those offered to individual savers.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 35WS.

Bank Services: Rural Areas

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to encourage banks to share facilities in rural areas.

Ian Pearson: The Government have no plans to make shared banking facilities in rural areas a matter of policy.

Bank Services: Standards

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his predecessor had with the US Administration between 1997 and 2001 on the effects on the United Kingdom economy of banks in the United States lowering their lending standards; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations and international partners. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Banking Supervision

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will direct his appointees as non-executive directors on the boards of banks in receipt of recapitalisation from the public purse to establish lending rules which prohibit the provision of sub-prime mortgages; and if he will instruct the Financial Services Authority to oversee implementation of this instruction.

Ian Pearson: As part of its investment, the Government have agreed a range of commitments with banks accessing the recapitalisation scheme. The Government expect boards to appoint new independent non-executive directors, in consultation with Government.
	These banks are committed to offering a wide range of products at competitive rates, which will be made available to customers with good credit ratings. Decisions on the terms and pricing of specific products are commercial decisions for the individual institutions.
	It is important that all lenders lend responsibly and fulfil their regulatory obligations. Since 2004, the Financial Services Authority has held responsibility for the regulation of first charge residential mortgages, helping to ensure that lenders lend responsibly and borrowers are afforded appropriate protections.

Banks: EC Law

Ann Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1004/2008 of 15 October 2008 on levels of equity and liquidity of British banks.

Ian Pearson: Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1004/2008 of 15 October 2008 adopts the amendments to International Accounting Standard 39 and International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 7 made by the International Accounting Standards Board. The purpose of these amendments was to align the treatment on valuation and classification of certain financial instruments between IFRS and US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). UK banks will be required to utilise the amended standards in preparing their accounts, which will in turn be subject to audit scrutiny.

Banks: Iceland

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make provision for British citizens living overseas who are unable to access their deposits in subsidiaries of Icelandic banks following the Government's decision to freeze the assets of Landsbanki bank.

Ian Pearson: On 8 October HM Government made the Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008. This requires all persons in the UK (and UK persons elsewhere) to freeze funds owned, held or controlled by Landsbanki, including those owned held or controlled in relation to Landsbanki by certain Icelandic Authorities or the Government of Iceland. The Order was made because the Icelandic Government, its authorities and Landsbanki appeared to be on the brink of action which would be to the detriment of the UK economy, including detrimental treatment of UK depositors.
	The Financial Services Compensation Scheme does not cover deposits with banks outside the UK other than deposits with branches of UK banks established in other EEA states under EEA rights. Other deposits, including those made by UK residents or by British citizens resident outside the UK would be covered by any locally operated deposit-guarantee schemes.

Banks: Public Appointments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the experience and qualities sought in Government directors of UK banks where the Government has a shareholding will include time spent working in a mutual.

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has considered placing a Minister or departmental representative on the board of directors of those banks in receipt of public funds and support;
	(2)  if he will consider appointing as non-executive directors to the boards of banks in receipt of public funds for recapitalisation representatives from  (a) the Bankworkers' Trade Union and  (b) the third sector.

Ian Pearson: As part of the recapitalisation scheme, it is intended that new non-executive directors will be appointed to the boards of each of RBS and, provided it proceeds, the merged Lloyds TSB/HBOS. These will be independent non-executive directors appointed by the board of each bank. UK Financial Investments, the company which will manage the Treasury's shareholding, will work with those boards to ensure the individuals have appropriate commercial experience. The purpose behind their appointment is to strengthen the board of each bank and to provide independent oversight in respect of governance and other matters in the interests of all the shareholders of each bank.

Child Benefit

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what checks his Department makes to establish the accuracy of information provided by nationals of EU member states on applications forms for child benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the right hon. Member to the answers given to him on 26 November 2007 and 19 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 48W and 1217W respectively.

Child Trust Fund

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of Child Trust Fund accounts had a lower monetary value than the day upon which they were opened on the latest date for which figures are available.

Ian Pearson: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Christmas functions  (a) he,  (b) officials from his Department and  (c) officials from its executive agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2007-08; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available.

Council Tax: Tax Yields

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of gross revenue from council tax, including domestic rates where applicable, in England in each of the next three years.

Yvette Cooper: Council tax increases are determined annually by local authorities, not by the Government. Council tax projections are based on assumptions made for public finance purposes and are not Government forecasts.
	The most recent council tax projection is detailed in the Budget 2008 document on page 187, Table C6.

Credit

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2008,  Official Report, column 137-8W, on credit, if he will list those meetings with respect to which he thinks it is appropriate to release details; if he will place copies in the Library of the  (a) agenda,  (b) list of attendees and  (c) minutes of each such meeting; and what criteria he applies in determining whether it is appropriate to release such details.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 13 November 2008
	Treasury Ministers and officials meet and correspond with representatives of the banking sector on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of financial issues—including the provision of affordable credit—as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
	The Government remain committed to supporting the provision of affordable credit, which is a central strand of our financial inclusion strategy. We will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that this issue remains high on the agenda of the banking sector.

Departmental Catering

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2008,  Official Report, column 733W, on the Fairtrade Initiative, how much his Department spent on refreshments for official departmental meetings and engagements in each of the last three financial years; and what percentage of this was spent on Fairtrade products.

Angela Eagle: Spending on official departmental meetings and engagements in the past three financial years was £499,000 in 2005-06, £394,000 in 2006-07 and £424,000 in 2007-08. While there is no central record of the proportion of Fairtrade products used at departmental meetings and engagements, all tea and coffee offered at such events is certified Fairtrade.

Departmental Leave

Liam Fox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's rest and recuperation leave policy for civilians working in operational theatres.

Ian Pearson: HM Treasury do not have staff working in operational theatres.

Departmental Marketing

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of Government-commissioned advertising in the last 12 months relating to matters falling within the remit of his Department.

Angela Eagle: The majority of advertising undertaken by the Treasury in the last 12 months was for the purposes of recruitment. The advertising is evaluated to ascertain the volume and quality of responses and is used, together with advice from the Department's advertising agency, to ensure the most effective medium is used.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The requested information for 2007-08 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2007-08 
			 Performance bonuses (£000) 1,083 
			 Special bonuses (£000) 177 
			   
			  Number of staff:  
			 Special bonus 382 
			 Performance bonus 461 
			   
			  Percentage of staff( 1) :  
			 Special bonus 34 
			 Performance bonus 41 
			   
			 Highest amount 18,000 
			 (1) Based on fte headcount at end of each financial year 
		
	
	For information on prior years I refer the hon. Member to the answer the then Financial Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey) gave him on 20 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1881W.

Departmental Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what bonuses are paid to staff in his Department for working in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Ian Pearson: HM Treasury do not have any staff working in  (a) Iraq or  (b) Afghanistan.

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants working in his Department and its agencies have pensions with a cash equivalent transfer value of over £1 million.

Angela Eagle: It is not appropriate to disclose pension information for civil servants other than board members whose details are shown in the remuneration report in annual resource accounts. A copy of the HM Treasury's resource accounts for financial year 2007-08 which includes Debt Management Office (DMO) and OGC can be found in the Library or accessed electronically using the following link:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/annualreportand accounts200708050808.pdf (pages 29-34 refer)
	OGC Buying Solutions are a trading fund of OGC and publish their own accounts. These can be accessed using the following link:
	http://online.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk/downloads/tinymce_ uploads/corporatepublications/ARA%2007-08.pdf (refer to page 36).

Departmental Procurement

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small- and medium-sized businesses were paid within 30 days of receipt by  (a) his Department and  (b) the agencies for which his Department is responsible in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: As the size of suppliers is not identified in the accounting systems of the Treasury and its agencies, the information requested is not available. Data relating to payment performance to all suppliers for the Treasury Group are included in paragraph 48 of the Management Commentary section of the 2007-08 Resource Account (HC 539).

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on targeted initiatives in  (a) inner cities,  (b) rural areas and  (c) seaside towns in each of the last 16 years.

Angela Eagle: There is no centrally held record of where particular departmental initiatives may have been targeted and the cost of obtaining any such information would exceed the disproportionate costs threshold. Details of the Treasury's total spending by region is published annually in the Country and Regional Analysis section of 'Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses', the latest edition is HC 489.

Deprivation Indicators

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the  (a) most and  (b) least deprived lower super output area is in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales;
	(2)  what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest ranking lower super output area on the crime domain for multiple index of deprivation is in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The following tables list the codes for the least and most deprived lower super output areas in the principal seaside towns in England, on the overall measure of multiple deprivation and across the seven domains of the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007. Information on deprivation in Welsh towns can be obtained from the Welsh Assembly Government Statistical Directorate.
	
		
			IMD  Income  Employment 
			Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived 
			  Town  LA name  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA 
			 Blackpool Blackpool E01012721 E01012718 E01012721 E01012717 E01012721 E01012717 
			 Bognor Regis Arun E01031456 E01031383 E01031429 E01031412 E01031456 E01031392 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth E01015282 E01015315 E01015282 E01015319 E01015282 E01015319 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire E01012948 E01013093 E01012946 E01013088 E01012944 E01013012 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove E01016947 E01016984 E01016865 E01016984 E01016942 E01016899 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor E01029106 E01029104 E01029106 E01029128 E01029112 E01029128 
			 Clacton Tendring E01021988 E01022005 E01021988 E01022013 E01021988 E01022013 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge E01020272 E01020239 E01020272 E01020242 E01020228 E01020242 
			 Deal Dover E01024240 E01024233 E01024240 E01024233 E01024199 E01024238 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne E01020912 E01020933 E01020923 E01020946 E01020911 E01020933 
			 Exmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019931 E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 
			 Falmouth Carrick E01018841 E01018848 E01018841 E01018816 E01018841 E01018827 
			 Folkestone/Hythe Shepway E01024504 E01024523 E01024507 E01024523 E01024506 E01024519 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth E01026625 E01026587 E01026625 E01026587 E01026625 E01026587 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings E01020972 E01020970 E01020972 E01020970 E01020972 E01020987 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon E01020112 E01020090 E01020103 E01020133 E01020112 E01020133 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight E01017332 E01017352 E01017345 E01017293 E01017336 E01017302 
			 Lowestoft Waveney E01030258 E01030284 E01030258 E01030288 E01030258 E01030292 
			 Minehead, West Somerset E01029344 E01029331 E01029344 E01029342 E01029344 E01029338 
			 Morecambe/Heysham Lancaster E01025110 E01025146 E01025156 E01025105 E01025110 E01025105 
			 Newquay Restormel E01019056 E01019017 E01019056 E01019017 E01019033 E01019016 
			 Penzance Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01018997 E01019011 
			 Scarborough Scarborough E01027806 E01027844 E01027874 E01027855 E01027847 E01027857 
			 Sidmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019931 E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 
			 Skegness East Lindsey E01026093 E01026063 E01026083 E01026063 E01026093 E01026061 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea E01015842 E01015908 E01015842 E01015914 E01015842 E01015830 
			 Southport Sefton E01007007 E01006985 E01007007 E01006991 E01007007 E01006985 
			 St. Ives East Dorset E01020393 E01020377 E01020393 E01020377 E01020394 E01020409 
			 St. Ives Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01018997 E01019011 
			 Swanage Purbeck E01020489 E01020470 E01020472 E01020470 E01020485 E01020470 
			 Thanet Thanet E01024678 E01024708 E01024678 E01024650 E01024678 E01024689 
			 Torbay Torbay E01015217 E01015208 E01015257 E01015208 E01015217 E01015251 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset E01014831 E01014798 E01014831 E01014793 E01014801 E01014791 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland E01020554 E01020558 E01020552 E01020559 E01020554 E01020558 
			 Whitby Scarborough E01027806 E01027844 E01027874 E01027855 E01027847 E01027857 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside E01008485 E01008523 E01008485 E01008563 E01008485 E01008548 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury E01024080 E01024056 E01024061 E01024051 E01024080 E01024051 
			 Worthing Worthing E01031819 E01031824 E01031819 E01031824 E01031811 E01031824 
		
	
	
		
			Health & Disability  Education, Skills & Training  Barriers to Housing & Services 
			Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived 
			  Town  LA name  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA 
			 Blackpool Blackpool E01012721 E01012718 E01012720 E01012722 E01012704 E01012725 
			 Bognor Regis Arun E01031456 E01031389 E01031429 E01031416 E01031392 E01031464 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth E01015282 E01015319 E01015313 E01015344 E01015370 E01015335 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire E01012948 E01013088 E01013002 E01013070 E01012981 E01012999 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove E01016942 E01016983 E01016915 E01017001 E01016899 E01016961 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor E01029132 E01029128 E01029106 E01029147 E01029147 E01029127 
			 Clacton Tendring E01022025 E01021978 E01021988 E01021987 E01021974 E01022035 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge E01020228 E01020194 E01020212 E01020274 E01020259 E01020265 
			 Deal Dover E01024215 E01024233 E01024240 E01024211 E01024249 E01024221 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne E01020920 E01020960 E01020923 E01020946 E01020958 E01020939 
			 Exmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 E01019938 E01019948 
			 Falmouth Carrick E01018841 E01018816 E01018841 E01018816 E01018850 E01018848 
			 Folkestone/Hythe Shepway E01024506 E01024490 E01024498 E01024523 E01024549 E01024512 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth E01026625 E01026587 E01026619 E01026611 E01026609 E01026639 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings E01020989 E01020970 E01020972 E01020970 E01020970 E01021013 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon E01020112 E01020127 E01020103 E01020128 E01020100 E01020105 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight E01017336 E01017351 E01017332 E01017316 E01017297 E01017344 
			 Lowestoft Waveney E01030258 E01030237 E01030277 E01030224 E01030285 E01030288 
			 Minehead, West Somerset E01029344 E01029338 E01029344 E01029335 E01029338 E01029332 
			 Morecambe/Heysham Lancaster E01025110 E01025105 E01025156 E01025103 E01025132 E01025098 
			 Newquay Restormel E01019041 E01019017 E01019055 E01019017 E01019060 E01019072 
			 Penzance Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01019006 E01018993 
			 Scarborough Scarborough E01027806 E01027814 E01027874 E01027855 E01027857 E01027871 
			 Sidmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 E01019938 E01019948 
			 Skegness East Lindsey E01026073 E01026098 E01026083 E01026119 E01026082 E01026054 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea E01015842 E01015908 E01015842 E01015908 E01015827 E01015910 
			 Southport Sefton E01007009 E01006985 E01007019 E01006974 E01007038 E01007102 
			 St. Ives East Dorset E01020393 E01020415 E01020393 E01020380 E01020396 E01020426 
			 St. Ives Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01019006 E01018993 
			 Swanage Purbeck E01020485 E01020470 E01020471 E01020470 E01020490 E01020492 
			 Thanet Thanet E01024676 E01024635 E01024682 E01024642 E01024703 E01024655 
			 Torbay Torbay E01015217 E01015208 E01015266 E01015271 E01015190 E01015211 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset E01014832 E01014850 E01014831 E01014766 E01014766 E01014816 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland E01020554 E01020560 E01020552 E01020558 E01020569 E01020588 
			 Whitby Scarborough E01027806 E01027814 E01027874 E01027855 E01027857 E01027871 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside E01008545 E01008546 E01008484 E01008563 E01008480 E01008546 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury E01024092 E01024056 E01024047 E01024131 E01024054 E01024115 
			 Worthing Worthing E01031790 E01031824 E01031819 E01031803 E01031832 E01031797 
		
	
	—continued
	
		
			Crime & Disorder  Living Environment 
			Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived 
			  Town  LA name  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA 
			 Blackpool Blackpool E01012736 E01012662 E01012673 E01012722 
			 Bognor Regis Arun E01031454 E01031458 E01031427 E01031383 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth E01015367 E01015315 E01015279 E01015315 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire E01013000 E01013122 E01012948 E01012939 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove E01016952 E01016998 E01016952 E01017008 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor E01029098 E01029103 E01029095 E01029115 
			 Clacton Tendring E01021988 E01022012 E01021988 E01022004 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge E01020269 E01020193 E01020224 E01020215 
			 Deal Dover E01024241 E01024213 E01024215 E01024256 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne E01020912 E01020948 E01020912 E01020926 
			 Exmouth East Devon E01019918 E01019897 E01019916 E01019905 
			 Falmouth Carrick E01018809 E01018827 E01018836 E01018813 
			 Folkestone/Hythe Shepway E01024504 E01024536 E01024504 E01024542 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth E01026626 E01026629 E01026626 E01026582 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings E01020979 E01020971 E01020984 E01020995 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon E01020113 E01020107 E01020112 E01020085 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight E01017336 E01017298 E01017340 E01017352 
			 Lowestoft Waveney E01030258 E01030245 E01030250 E01030239 
			 Minehead, West Somerset E01029330 E01029327 E01029338 E01029331 
			 Morecambe/Heysham Lancaster E01025139 E01025160 E01025117 E01025158 
			 Newquay Restormel E01019029 E01019045 E01019056 E01019018 
			 Penzance Penwith E01018999 E01018975 E01019012 E01018983 
			 Scarborough Scarborough E01027806 E01027834 E01027804 E01027855 
			 Sidmouth East Devon E01019918 E01019897 E01019916 E01019905 
			 Skegness East Lindsey E01026069 E01026098 E01026093 E01026085 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea E01015841 E01015866 E01015852 E01015885 
			 Southport Sefton E01007051 E01007093 E01007003 E01006991 
			 St. Ives East Dorset E01020392 E01020378 E01020396 E01020374 
			 St. Ives Penwith E01018999 E01018975 E01019012 E01018983 
			 Swanage Purbeck E01020472 E01020491 E01020490 E01020470 
			 Thanet Thanet E01024676 E01024644 E01024676 E01024637 
			 Torbay Torbay E01015267 E01015251 E01015231 E01015226 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset E01014801 E01014793 E01014802 E01014793 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland E01020554 E01020559 E01020554 E01020560 
			 Whitby Scarborough E01027806 E01027834 E01027804 E01027855 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside E01008584 E01008518 E01008572 E01008551 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury E01024080 E01024054 E01024080 E01024056 
			 Worthing Worthing E01031787 E01031804 E01031810 E01031820

Economic Policy

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account has been taken by his Department of New Economics and post neo-classical endogenous growth theory in the formulation of economic policy since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The Government take into account all relevant factors in their formulation of economic policy.

Economic Situation: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the gross value added per head was in the principal seaside towns in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question about gross value added (GVA) per head in the principal seaside towns in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available. (235189)
	The Office for National Statistics publishes regional GVA using official statistical geographies known as Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (NUTS)(1). NUTS3 boundaries (the lowest level at which the ONS publishes regional GVA) do not directly correspond to the principal seaside towns of the United Kingdom, but some towns are included as individual regions.
	Regional GVA per head can be found in table 3.2 of the link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/GVA_NUTS3_Excel_Tables_1995-2005.xls
	Regional GVA estimates are expressed at current basic prices and do not allow for changes in prices over time (inflation) or differences in regional price levels (purchasing power).
	The full range of regional GVA estimates is available on the ONS website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14650
	(1) The Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (NUTS) provides a single uniform breakdown for the production of regional statistics for the European Union. Regional GVA data are produced at three levels of NUTS in the UK. These are:
	NUTS 1: Government Office Regions of England and the devolved administrations of Scotland. Wales and Northern Ireland.
	NUTS2: 37 areas—sometimes referred to as sub-regions.
	NUTS3; 133 areas—generally groups of unitary authorities or districts, also known as local areas.

EU External Trade: Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 883-84W, on EU external trade: Israel, what action was taken on the requests for information not answered by the Israeli authorities; and whether the consignments in question were permitted to be sold in the UK with the preference applied under the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

Stephen Timms: Four late replies to requests for information were received from Israel after 10 months had elapsed, leaving only eight cases where the authorities did not provide an answer. In seven of those cases the preference was refused and the full rate of customs duty was demanded.
	There was insufficient evidence in the remaining case to confirm whether the goods had originated in a settlement.

European Coalition for Responsible Credit Conference

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Department will participate in the European Coalition for Responsible Credit Conference to be held in London on 13 to 14 November; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government want to see all lenders meeting the highest standards and welcomes all contributions to discussions of these issues, including at events relating to credit issues. Government officials attended the European Coalition for Responsible Credit Conference.

Government Shareholding

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the value of UK bank shares held by  (a) HM Treasury and  (b) the Treasury Solicitor.

Ian Pearson: As shown in HM Treasury 2007-2008 resource accounts, shares in Northern Rock held by the Treasury Solicitors on behalf of HM Treasury are being carried at historic cost. This is currently shown as nil, since the historic cost to HM Treasury will be dependent on the valuation of the company by the valuer appointed in accordance with the Northern Rock plc Compensation Scheme Order 2008. This valuation is pending.
	A Compensation Order to determine the amount of any compensation payable to former shareholders of Bradford and Bingley will be laid before Parliament in due course. That will decide the historic cost to HM Treasury of the shares it holds in Bradford and Bingley.
	As the Chancellor announced on 13 October, the Treasury has agreed to invest up to £37 billion to recapitalise the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, HBOS plc, and Lloyds TSB Group plc, by underwriting ordinary and preference shares. No public money has yet been invested in these banks to date.

Income Tax: Prisoners

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 338W, on income tax: prisoners, whether income tax paid by prisoners working on the Barbed project in Coldingley prison was returned to them.

Stephen Timms: As for other individuals, the personal tax affairs of prisoners are covered by rules of confidentiality.

Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to oral Statement of 8 October 2008,  Official Report, column 278, on the banking system, what steps he is taking to ensure that investors who have placed funds with Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) Limited are able to reclaim those investments without loss; and what steps his Department has taken in respect of such funds following the seizure of the assets of this company.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 11 November 2008
	 Arrangements for depositors in banks in the Isle of Man are a matter for the Government of the Isle of Man.
	Deposits with Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, Isle of Man, will be subject to the Isle of Man Deposit Compensation Scheme.
	In line with usual constitutional arrangements, the Government will represent the Crown Dependencies in their negotiations with the Icelandic authorities.

Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice he received from the Financial Services Authority on the position of Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander Limited prior to the decision to bring the Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008 into force.

Ian Pearson: The FSA intensified its supervision of deposit-taking by Icelandic banks (including through increased contact with firms, more frequent visits and enhanced reporting requirements) from the beginning of 2008. As the economic situation deteriorated during the year and particularly since September, the FSA worked increasingly with the banks concerned. As the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the FSA sets out, the FSA informs the Tripartite Standing Committee of its concerns on a regular basis.

Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the operations of Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander Limited of the operation of the Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008.

Ian Pearson: On 8 October, the Treasury made Landsbanki Freezing Order 2008 in order to freeze funds and financial assets relating to Landsbanki. Landsbanki is the only Icelandic bank which has been made the subject of a freezing order.

Landsbanki

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what information his Department received on the financial position of Landsbanki between February and October 2008;
	(2)  what information his Department received on Icesave accounts between Landsbanki between February and October 2008.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 23 October 2008
	The FSA intensified its supervision of deposit-taking by Icelandic banks (including through increased contact with the banks themselves and the Icelandic regulator) from the beginning of 2008. As the macroeconomic situation deteriorated during the year and particularly since September the FSA has worked increasingly intensively with the banks concerned.
	As the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the FSA sets out, the FSA informs the Tripartite Standing Committee of any concerns about individual financial institutions on a regular basis.

Lloyds TSB: Halifax Bank of Scotland

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to halt the merger of Lloyds TSB plc and HBOS plc; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 23 October 2008
	The decision as to whether the merger proceeds is a matter for shareholders of Lloyds TSB and HBOS.

Loans: Small Businesses

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government plans to take to encourage banks which are in receipt of money from the public purse to lend money to small businesses.

Ian Pearson: As part of their investment, the Government have agreed a range of commitments with banks accessing the recapitalisation scheme. The Government expect banks to restore and maintain the availability and active marketing of competitively priced lending to SMEs, at a level at least equivalent to that of 2007, until the end of 2011.
	UK Financial Investments Limited (UKFI), which is wholly owned by the Government, will also oversee the conditions attached to subscribing to the Government's recapitalisation fund, including in relation to SME lending.
	On 30 October, the Chancellor announced that Britain's small and medium-sized businesses stand to benefit from up to £4 billion in loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) over the next four years. The Government have secured commitments from UK's largest SME lenders that they will maximise use of this funding.

Lost Working Days

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working days have been lost due to industrial action by employees for which his Department is responsible in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested in respect of HM Treasury is as follows:
	
		
			  Date of industrial action  Number of employees absent 
			 5 November 2004 12 
			 31 January 2007 26 
			 1 May 2007 13

Maternity Pay

Susan Kramer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of statutory maternity pay expressed as  (a) reduced tax income from employers,  (b) reduced national insurance income from employers and  (c) compensation paid to small employers in each year since it was introduced.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Department for Work and Pensions expenditure on statutory maternity pay: Great Britain 
			  £ million 
			   Nominal terms  Real terms (2008-09 prices) 
			 1987-88 193 395 
			 1988-89 250 478 
			 1989-90 286 510 
			 1990-91 314 520 
			 1991-92 408 636 
			 1992-93 434 656 
			 1993-94 416 613 
			 1994-95 480 696 
			 1995-96 524 738 
			 1996-97 341 464 
			 1997-98 502 664 
			 1998-99 553 714 
			 1999-2000 635 803 
			 2000-01 648 808 
			 2001-02 636 775 
			 2002-03 724 855 
			 2003-04 1,035 1,188 
			 2004-05 1,291 1,442 
			 2005-06 1,184 1,295 
			 2006-07 1,287 1,368 
			 2007-08 1,496 1,541 
		
	
	
		
			  Compensation of employers payments; Great Britain (nominal terms) 
			   £ million 
			 1988-89 17 
			 1989-90 20 
			 1990-91 22 
			 1991-92 17 
			 1992-93 17 
			 1993-94 18 
			 1994-95 10 
			 1995-96 2 
			 1996-97 3 
			 1997-98 3 
			 1998-99 3 
			 1999-2000 2 
			 2000-01 2 
			 2001-02 3 
			 2002-03 3 
			 2003-04 5 
			 2004-05 7 
			 2005-06 7 
			 2006-07 8 
			 2007-08 9 
			  Notes: 1. The nature of employers' interaction with the national insurance system leaves all figures open to revision. 2. Compensation of employers information is not available for 1987-88. 3. There was a change in the SMP arrangements in 1994 (see The SMP (Compensation of Employers) and Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations 1994) to restrict additional compensation to small employers only. 4. Historical figures prior to 1999-2000 have been provided by the Government Actuary's Department. Figures thereafter are taken from a sample of records from the National Insurance Recording System 2.

Members: Correspondence

Ann Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 8 September 2008 from the hon. Member for Congleton on behalf of her constituent Mr. Peter Carr.

Ian Pearson: The former Economic Secretary to the Treasury my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley, (Kitty Ussher) replied to the hon. Lady on 18 September.

Non-domestic Rates: Ports

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 October 2008,  Official Report, column 594W, on non-domestic rates: ports, which ports have been affected by the decision to backdate the higher rateable values.

Stephen Timms: Hereditaments situated within the following ports in England and Wales, and occupied other than by the designated port operator, have been
	affected:
	Avonmouth
	Barrow
	Barry
	Boston
	Blyth
	Cardiff
	Dover
	Falmouth
	Felixstowe
	Fishguard
	Fleetwood
	Folkestone
	Garston
	Goole
	Great Yarmouth
	Grimsby
	Harwich
	Heysham
	Holyhead
	Hull
	Immingham
	Ipswich
	King's Lynn
	Liverpool
	Lowestoft
	Milford Dock Company
	Mostyn
	Newport
	Portsmouth
	Port Talbot
	Seaham
	Sharpness
	Sheerness
	Shoreham
	Southampton
	Southampton Container Terminal
	Sunderland,
	Swansea,
	Teesport
	Teignmouth
	Thamesport
	Tilbury
	Tilbury Container Terminal
	Tyne
	Workington
	The only assessment of a hereditament occupied by a designated port operator which has experienced backdated increases is Harwich Dock.
	Individual occupiers have the right of appeal against rateable values. The outcome of such appeals may affect the overall picture.

Public Sector: Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations have been made by his Department in connection with the treatment of state pension liabilities and public service pension liabilities under the revisions to the System of National Accounts 1993 being prepared by the UN Statistics Commission.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what representations have been made in connection with the treatment of state pension liabilities and public service pension liabilities under the revisions to the System of National Accounts 1993 being prepared by the UN Statistics Commission. (233237)
	The Office for National Statistics has responsibility for contributions to the revision of the System of National Accounts 1993. The ONS has been an active participant in the process to update the System of National Accounts. Comments from the UK and other countries on the draft Volume 1 of the SNA can be found at:
	www.unstats.un.org/unsd/sna1993/draftingphase/Chapter IssueMatrix-V1.asp.
	The proposed change to the treatment of pension liabilities in the new System of National Accounts aims to quantify and recognise future pension benefits as liabilities of social security schemes or unfunded employer schemes. The discussion is ongoing and no final position has yet been agreed.

Public Works Loan Board: Interest Rates

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effect of  (a) rates of inflation,  (b) the banking situation and  (c) the increase in Government borrowing on Public Works Loan Board interest rates.

Angela Eagle: The PWLB's rates are determined according to the price of gilts in the secondary market, with a margin to prevent loss to the National Loans Fund.

Revenue and Customs: Public Appointments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the decision to appoint Lesley Strathie as the new Chief Executive of HM Revenue and Customs was made.

Stephen Timms: The Chairman of HMRC, Mike Clasper announced on 13 October 2008 that Lesley Strathie was to become the new chief executive officer, and she took up her new post on 10 November.

Tax Havens

Frank Dobson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's most recent estimate is of the reduction in UK tax revenues consequent upon the existence of overseas tax havens.

Stephen Timms: In March 2008 HMRC released details of some analysis from 2005 that attempted to derive estimates of the direct tax gap at the start of the decade—see:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/direct-tax-gaps.pdf
	Since the Offshore Disclosure Facility was launched in 2007 it is estimated that over £400 million unpaid tax has been collected.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants in his Department were seconded to work for  (a) trade unions and  (b) the Trades Union Congress in each year since 2003.

Angela Eagle: None.

Valuation: Information and Communications Technology

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Valuation Office Agency has spent on IT projects in the last 24 months, broken down by project.

Stephen Timms: The amounts spent by the Valuation Office Agency on IT projects during the period October 2006 to September 2008 were as follows:
	
		
			  Project title  £000 (exc.  VAT) 
			 Appeals Direct 540 
			 Computer Assisted Design ( CAD ) 160 
			 Deployment of hand held devices for VOA executives 27 
			 Electronic Billing Authority Reports 124 
			 Electronic interface with OGDs 262 
			 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP ) 5,163 
			 Geographical Information System (GIS ) 1,509 
			 Hardcopy records 687 
			 Internet service level revision 74 
			 Mass appraisals techniques (1 and 2 ) 2,871 
			 Minerals 204 
			 Mobile computing (homeworkers ) 173 
			 NDR Reval 2010 4,252 
			 Offline data capture 439 
			 Secure UAT access 75 
			 Web access from the desktop 5 
			 Working in advance 18 
			 Procurement of laptops 346 
			 Replacement of personal computers 802 
			 Replacement file and print servers 286

Written Questions: Government Responses

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer question  (a) 227155,  (b) 227156,  (c) 227157 and  (d) 227158 on the Zanzibar eProcurement Service, tabled by the hon. Member for Putney on 9 October 2008.

Angela Eagle: I very much regret not having answered the hon. Lady's questions and hope to be in a position to do so very shortly.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Administration of Justice

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  when he expects the guiding principles for dealing with cases of extraterritoriality, referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 25 October 2007,  Official Report, column 510, to be  (a) finalised and  (b) published;
	(2)  what he expects to be included in the guiding principles for dealing with cases of extraterritoriality, as referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 25 October 2007,  Official Report, column 510; and what account will be taken of these principles in formulating and implementing the Government's extraterritorial policy.

Gillian Merron: Whitehall discussions on a set of guiding principles are continuing.

Admiralty House: Utilities

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on  (a) electricity,  (b) heating and  (c) water bills in each of the flats in Admiralty House in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Costs associated with each of the flats (including costs for electricity, heating and water) are calculated on the basis of percentages of the total costs for Admiralty House, which includes the common parts. It is not possible, within the overall total, to identify separately the costs for electricity, heating and water that arise from the three flats.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK's objectives are for the Paris 2008 Conference on Afghanistan to be held on 12th June 2008.

David Miliband: The UK saw the Paris Conference as an important occasion to reaffirm international and Afghan Government commitment to Afghanistan's future. This commitment was demonstrated by the launch of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy and the $20 billion pledged by the international community to support the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan.
	The $20 billion pledged at Paris included £613 million of UK support to Afghanistan (over the period up to 2012-13). This support is in addition to the £500 million we pledged at the London Conference in 2006.
	The UN Secretary General, myself and others also used the opportunity to stress the urgent need for the Afghan Government to tackle corruption. The conference also reiterated the importance of the role played by the UN in coordinating the civilian effort in Afghanistan and made clear its support for the UN Special Representative, Kai Eide.

British Nationality: Overseas Residence

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the number of British expatriates resident in each country outside the UK.

Gillian Merron: Our network of posts overseas is asked each year to provide an estimate of the number of British nationals resident in their consular areas. The results of this survey for April 2006 to March 2007 are as follows.
	
		
			  Country  Estimated size of the British national community 2006-07 
			 Afghanistan 285 
			 Albania 196 
			 Algeria 645 
			 Angola 1,500 
			 Antigua and Barbuda 2,200 
			 Argentina 5,000 
			 Armenia 37 
			 Australia 1,550,000 
			 Austria 7,369 
			 Azerbaijan 3,000 
			 Bahamas 4,500 
			 Bahrain 6,000 
			 Bangladesh 15,000 
			 Barbados 3,800 
			 Belarus 15 
			 Belgium 39,867 
			 Belize 1,400 
			 Bolivia 250 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 400 
			 Botswana 6,000 
			 Brazil 9,819 
			 Brunei 3,000 
			 Bulgaria 1,700 
			 Burma 195 
			 Cambodia 1,000 
			 Cameroon 262 
			 Canada 1,645,000 
			 Chile 7,682 
			 China 3,748,348 
			 Colombia 1,980 
			 Congo (Democratic Republic) 240 
			 Costa Rica 2,230 
			 Croatia 1,200 
			 Cuba 160 
			 Cyprus 60,000 
			 Czech Republic 3,183 
			 Denmark 13,183 
			 Djibouti — 
			 Dominican Republic 600 
			 East Timor — 
			 Ecuador 1,500 
			 Egypt 15,900 
			 El Salvador — 
			 Eritrea 71 
			 Estonia 220 
			 Ethiopia 600 
			 Fiji 500 
			 Finland 4,350 
			 France 381,000 
			 Gambia 3,250 
			 Georgia 232 
			 Germany 115,554 
			 Ghana 4,000 
			 Greece 31,470 
			 Grenada 2,700 
			 Guatemala 1,212 
			 Guinea 45 
			 Guyana 450 
			 Haiti — 
			 Honduras — 
			 Hungary 2,640 
			 Iceland 900 
			 India 36,150 
			 Indonesia 6,300 
			 Iran 1,500 
			 Iraq 4,000 
			 Ireland 112,548 
			 Israel 50,000 
			 Italy 71,990 
			 Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) — 
			 Jamaica 4,500 
			 Japan 23,494 
			 Jerusalem 20,000 
			 Jordan 2,500 
			 Kazakhstan 1,200 
			 Kenya 20,000 
			 Kuwait 2,940 
			 Laos — 
			 Latvia 400 
			 Lebanon 5,000 
			 Lesotho — 
			 Libya 4,500 
			 Lithuania 250 
			 Luxembourg 4,480 
			 Macedonia 66 
			 Madagascar — 
			 Malawi 8,000 
			 Malaysia 8,500 
			 Mali 70 
			 Malta 6,000 
			 Mauritius 1,500 
			 Mexico 15,334 
			 Moldova 150 
			 Mongolia 200 
			 Morocco 1,258 
			 Mozambique 700 
			 Namibia 2,500 
			 Nepal 550 
			 Netherlands 73,600 
			 New Zealand 450,000 
			 Nicaragua — 
			 Nigeria 1,783 
			 North Korea 8 
			 Norway 11,030 
			 Oman 4,000 
			 Pakistan 85,000 
			 Panama 260 
			 Papua New Guinea 1,200 
			 Paraguay — 
			 Peru 2,000 
			 Philippines 17,000 
			 Poland 2,531 
			 Portugal 34,624 
			 Qatar 7,500 
			 Romania 6,000 
			 Russia 6,950 
			 Rwanda 400 
			 Saudi Arabia 19,500 
			 Senegal 232 
			 Serbia 750 
			 Seychelles 800 
			 Sierra Leone 2,500 
			 Singapore 21,300 
			 Slovakia 1,000 
			 Slovenia 157 
			 Solomon Islands 120 
			 South Africa 800,000 
			 South Korea 4,100 
			 Spain 840,989 
			 Sri Lanka 3,000 
			 St Lucia 750 
			 St Vincent and the Grenadines 700 
			 Sudan 1,300 
			 Swaziland — 
			 Sweden 15,000 
			 Switzerland 83,570 
			 Syria 1,100 
			 Tajikistan 100 
			 Tanzania 6,200 
			 Thailand 42,500 
			 Tonga — 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 5,000 
			 Tunisia 850 
			 Turkey 15,120 
			 Turkmenistan 50 
			 Uganda 3,500 
			 Ukraine 1,000 
			 United Arab Emirates 120,000 
			 Uruguay 756 
			 USA 1,257,000 
			 Uzbekistan 116 
			 Vanuatu — 
			 Venezuela 1,500 
			 Vietnam 2,900 
			 Yemen 490 
			 Zambia 8,000 
			 Zimbabwe 17,500 
			  12,113,756

China: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Tibetans held in detention in China following the protests of March and April 2008; and what representations he has made to the Chinese authorities on obtaining due process for these detainees.

David Miliband: There has been no official confirmation of the number of Tibetans held in detention following the protests in March and April 2008. Unofficial estimates vary considerably—International Campaign for Tibet, for example, gives a figure of 4,000 people detained, of whom 2,000 had been released by 14 April.
	We continue to urge the Chinese authorities to ensure due process for all Tibetan detainees, including that they be allowed access to lawyers of their choice. We have also stressed the need to differentiate between those who peacefully express their views and those who commit violent crimes. I have spoken to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang on several occasions since the protests emphasising the need to respect human rights. My officials have raised the detentions directly with the Chinese authorities both in Beijing and London.
	At the end of March, EU Foreign Ministers called for all Tibetan detainees to be treated in conformity with international standards. The rights of the Tibetan detainees were also raised at the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue which took place in Slovenia on 15 May.

Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals hold honours.

Gillian Merron: The following members of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals hold honours as shown:
	Sir Gus O'Donnell KCB
	Sir Bill Jeffrey KCB
	Sir Peter Ricketts KCMG
	Jeremy Heywood CB CVO
	Sir David Normington KCB
	Right hon. Christopher Geidt CVO OBE

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Residence

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the number of British citizens believed to be in critical areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what steps have been made to ensure their safety.

David Miliband: Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice advises against all travel to eastern and north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, including North Kivu. British nationals in the affected areas are likely to be working with international aid agencies and UN agencies. These organisations have their own security systems in place for evacuation of staff and take advice from MONUC locally. The British embassy in Kinshasa is able to provide limited consular assistance to British nationals in need of emergency assistance. The embassy also has a diplomat based in Goma who, as part of his role, is able to offer ad hoc consular advice and assistance.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Peace Negotiations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the UK has put forward on mediation to secure a ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: A ceasefire was declared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 29 October. While the situation in the region remains uncertain, it appears to be holding. During my visit to the region on 1-2 November with my French counterpart, I urged the Presidents of DRC and Rwanda to find a political solution to the problems of the region, including through the full implementation of the Nairobi Agreement. I also offered full support for President Kikwete of Tanzania's initiative to hold a regional meeting, which would include Presidents Kabila and Kagame.
	I also welcome the UNSG's appointment of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as his special envoy to the DRC on 3 November. I look forward to working with former President Obasanjo in his efforts to bring about a lasting settlement in the region.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what initiatives are being considered.

David Miliband: I have remained in close contact with my French counterpart since the recent upsurge in fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 16 October. On 1-2 November, I visited DRC, Rwanda and Tanzania with M. Kouchner. During the visit, we urged President Kabila of DRC and President Kagame of Rwanda to seek a political solution to the problems in eastern DRC, including through the full implementation of the Nairobi and Goma agreements. We also discussed with President Kikwete of Tanzania his initiative to hold a regional meeting, which would include Presidents Kabila and Kagame.
	I will continue to work closely with my French colleague and other partners to bring about a lasting settlement in the region.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Rwanda on steps to alleviate the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I met President Kagame on 1 November with my French counterpart Bernard Kouchner. I urged President Kagame to support efforts to find a political solution to the problems in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. My noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown attended the Nairobi Summit on 7 November and will be visiting Kigali on 19 to 20 November where he plans to discuss the crisis further with the Government of Rwanda.

Departmental Air Travel

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies who are entitled to business class or first class air travel are permitted to (i) travel in a cheaper class to the destination and (ii) benefit in monetary terms or kind from the saving.

Gillian Merron: All official travel by the Department and its agencies is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Resources Guidance.
	Staff are permitted to travel in a cheaper class to their destination, both in the UK and overseas. They receive no benefit except as shown below.
	Staff who are travelling to and from their posting at a British mission overseas on transfer and on leave journeys can choose to travel in a cheaper class than the approved route entitlement and may use any additional savings made for additional travel when taking leave during that posting. Unused entitlements remain available to the officer until the end of the posting but are then cancelled. This allows staff to travel in a way which best meets operational and personal needs, and involves no additional cost to the taxpayer.

Departmental Appeals

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions his Department has instructed the Treasury Solicitor to seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords from  (a) the Court of Appeal and  (b) the House of Lords itself in each of the last 10 years; and on how many occasions the application was rejected.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Buildings

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on improving the energy efficiency of the buildings which it  (a) rents and  (b) owns; what changes there have been in the energy efficiency of such buildings in the last (i) five and (ii) 10 years; and whether his Department has adopted targets on energy efficiency improvements in the buildings it occupies over the next (A) five and (B) 10 years;
	(2)  what account his Department takes of the level of energy efficiency of buildings before entering into agreements to  (a) rent and  (b) purchase those buildings.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) sets environmental objectives for our UK estate which are in accordance with UK Government-wide Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) targets. These targets cover carbon emissions, energy efficiency, waste management, recycling, water consumption, and utilisation of low-carbon or renewable sources of energy.
	One of the SOGE targets is to increase energy efficiency per square metre of both owned and rented buildings by 15 per cent. by 2010 and 30 per cent. by 2020, compared to a 1999-2000 baseline. Detailed figures for the FCO's energy efficiency performance since 1999-2000 can be found on the Sustainable Development Commission website. The relevant figures from the Fifth and Sixth Annual Sustainable Development in Government Reports are at:
	www.sd-commission.org.uk/sdig2006/images/Results_Energy.xls
	and pages 52 to 62 of:
	http://www.sd-comission.org.uk/publications/downloads/sdig report 2007.pdf
	By 1 October, all FCO sites in the UK were displaying Display Energy Certificates (DECs). The FCO is using the information obtained through DECs to further improve the energy efficiency of our buildings.
	The FCO is working to fully integrate environmental factors into the design, construction and management of all new buildings and major refurbishments in the UK and overseas. For buildings in the UK we use the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). We have developed a bespoke BREEAM model for all new builds and major refurbishments in our overseas estate. Two recently completed office buildings—the British embassy in Manila and the ICT building in Hanslope Park—have both achieved a BREEAM rating of 'Very good' for their sustainability.
	We have worked with the Carbon Trust to establish targets for improving the energy efficiency of the operations of our overseas trust and are in the process of developing a programme of actions to achieve these targets by 2012.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisations have received  (a) free and  (b) discounted room hire from (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the commercial value of the discount was in each case.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is not held centrally by the FCO and to obtain it for the last five years would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Databases

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what use  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies make of (i) MOSAIC data and (ii) ACORN data.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no central record to indicate that MOSAIC or ACORN data have been used. To provide more detailed information would require a search by all directorates and posts which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department and its agencies have been  (a) dismissed and  (b) disciplined for their conduct in the last two years.

Gillian Merron: From 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2008, seven Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff and four FCO services staff were dismissed for their conduct.
	During the same period, 39 FCO staff and 14 FCO services staff were disciplined for their conduct, including those dismissed.

Departmental Equality

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department met the Civil Service diversity targets set out on page 51 of the Cabinet Office Annual Report 2007 by April 2008.

Gillian Merron: As at 1 April 2008, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) fell short of its diversity targets for the Senior Management Structure (SMS), as set out in the Cabinet Office Annual Report 2007. We aimed for 25 per cent. women (achieved 19.4 per cent.), 4 per cent. ethnic minority staff (achieved 3.7 per cent.) and 3.2 per cent. of staff with a declared disability (achieved 2.4 per cent.).

Departmental Expenses

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much Ministers in his Department claimed in expenses in each of the last three years.

Gillian Merron: Expenses reimbursed to Ministers in each of the last three financial years are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2005-06 916.16 
			 2006-07 460.58 
			 2007-08 602.76

Departmental Information

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what types of data have been sold by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: Core information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can be re-used free of charge under the terms of the PSI Click-Use Licence which is administered by the Office of the Public Sector Information in accordance with the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations.
	During the last 12 months the Documents of the British Foreign Policy 1919-39, Third Series, Vols II, III and IV has been re-used under the Click-Use Value Added Licence for which re-use fees are charged.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on upgrading its IT in each of the last three financial years.

Gillian Merron: The following table summarises the gross information technology additions to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's tangible and intangible fixed assets in the past three financial years, as reported in its Resource Accounts:
	
		
			   Addition (£ million) 
			 2005-06 25.692 
			 2006-07 20.621 
			 2007-08 31.355

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the change in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies has been since July 2006.

Gillian Merron: The following table records the monthly change in the number of UK civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services between July 2006 and July 2008. Due to the way in which central records are kept, it is not possible to give a separate breakdown of FCO and FCO Services figures without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   UK civil servants 
			  2006  
			 July 6,098 
			 August 6,068 
			 September 6,048 
			 October 6,057 
			 November 6,060 
			 December 6,100 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 6,058 
			 February 5,994 
			 March 6,059 
			 April 6,063 
			 May 6,058 
			 June 6,100 
			 July 6,099 
			 August 6,083 
			 September 6,049 
			 October 6,063 
			 November 6,028 
			 December 6,039 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 6,017 
			 February 5,960 
			 March 5,935 
			 April 5,884 
			 May 5,870 
			 June 5,894 
			 July 5,866 
			 Percentage Difference between  July 2006 and July 2008 3.80 per cent. reduction

Departmental Overtime

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many hours of overtime were worked by staff in each pay grade in his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: The following tables set out the total number of hours of overtime worked by civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) during the period 1 July 2007 to June 2008 broken down by grade:
	
		
			  FCO Grade  Civil Service Grade  Figures in hours 
			 Al AA 7,805 
			 A2 AO 34,378 
			 B3 EO 30,414 
			 C4 HEO 41,625 
			 C5 SEO 17,510 
			 D6 Grade 7 12,521 
			 D7 Grade 6 4,129 
			 Cleaner  671 
		
	
	
		
			   2008  2007 
			  Grade  June  May  April  March  February  January  Decembe r  November  October  September  August  July 
			 Al 866 736 835 723 672 645 436 484 681 401 698 628 
			 A2 3,299 3,336 3,340 3,210 2,423 2,814 1,720 3,661 2,859 1,844 2,678 3,194 
			 B3 2,541 3,601 3,657 1,990 1,905 2,379 1,669 3,149 2,234 1,954 2,043 3,292 
			 C4 4,075 3,470 4,484 3,322 2,926 4,068 2,457 4,322 2,893 1,770 3,380 4,458 
			 C5 1,285 1,332 1,387 1,548 1,145 2,152 1,436 1,691 1,227 958 1,524 1,825 
			 D6 1,479 707 1,638 979 888 1183 824 1,283 1,198 454 931 1,227 
			 D7 298 747 426 666 110 182 338 317 234 178 253 380 
			 Cleaner 110 — 111 29 36 31 24 71 47 65 53 94

Departmental Pay

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average pay of  (a) male and  (b) female full-time equivalent staff of his Department who were recruited as fast-stream entrants was (i) five, (ii) 10, (iii) 15, (iv) 20 and (v) 25 years after their recruitment at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not differentiate fast streamers from other staff following their first two home postings. It is not therefore possible for us to supply the information requested without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost of  (a) salaries for permanent Civil Service posts,  (b) salaries for permanent non-Civil Service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in his Department was in each month since May 2005.

Gillian Merron: The following table sets out the annual cost of salaries paid by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to permanent civil servants, to permanent non-civil servants and to temporary, agency or fee-paid workers during the last three years.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 UK Civil Servants 254,713,000 258,826,000 262,746,000 
			 Non- Civil Servants 426,000 640,000 781,000 
			 Temporary/agency/fee paid staff 12,239,000 13,022,000 14,832,000 
		
	
	Unfortunately the data are not stored in a form which enables us to break the figures down into monthly totals.

Departmental Pay

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the pay bands for senior civil servants in his Department are.

Gillian Merron: Pay arrangements for staff in the Senior Management Structure/Senior Civil Service of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) follow a framework set centrally for Whitehall Departments by the Cabinet Office based on recommendations from the Senior Salaries Review Body.
	For the year 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, the SMS/SCS pay bands are:
	
		
			   £ 
			   From  To 
			 Pay band 1 57,300 116,000 
			 Pay band 2 81,600 160,000 
			 Pay band 3/Senior Head of Mission 99,960 205,000

Departmental Procurement

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on requesting discounts from its suppliers in return for swift payment of invoices.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not have a policy of negotiating discounts for early payment to suppliers. The FCO attempts to pay suppliers within 30 days of receipt of an invoice and is now seeking to comply with the latest policy of paying within 10 days of receipt of an invoice.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on  (a) new furnishings,  (b) art and  (c) new vehicles by his Department in each of the last three years.

Gillian Merron: The following expenditure, on art and new vehicles, has been recorded in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's fixed assets register in the last three financial years.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Antiques and works of art
			 Total 2,597 69,967 — 
			 
			  Vehicles
			 Heavy Commercial 60,827 72,251 108,593 
			 Light Commercial 267,783 367,449 231,181 
			 Motor Cars 4,249,522 17,628,125 11,248,651 
			 Total 4,578,132 18,067,825 11,588,425 
		
	
	Furnishings are not recorded in the fixed assets register. It would not be possible to provide the information required without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time posts in his Department were filled on a temporary basis for a period in excess of six months in each of the last three years.

Gillian Merron: In September 2006, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) devolved responsibility for hiring temporary staff to Directorates. The FCO does not maintain central records of temporary appointments of any length and could collate such information only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Translation Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on translation and interpretation services in 2007-08, broken down by language.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) procures translation and interpretation services from a range of suppliers, in the UK and overseas. Information on the total spent by the FCO on these services, and the languages involved, is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The FCO procures some translation and interpretation services from FCO Services: Translating and Interpreting, a business team within the FCO Services Trading Fund. In the financial year 2007-08 FCO Services: Translation and Interpreting delivered 171 translation assignments to the FCO to the value of £58,455. It arranged interpreters for events arranged by staff in the FCO for a total of 46 events at an overall cost of £77,816.

Departmental Working Hours

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many hours  (a) in total and  (b) on average per employee were worked by civil servants in his Department in the last year for which records are available.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) operates around the world 24 hours a day seven days a week, requiring careful management of staff time. Our terms and conditions of service require full-time staff in the UK to work 41 hours a week in London (and 42 hours elsewhere) including five hours paid meal breaks. Staff and their managers are expected to ensure that they are able to keep to this pattern as far as possible. The precise hours actually worked by individual staff above the conditioned hours are not recorded centrally. Where staff below senior management are required to work in excess of their conditioned hours for a particular period, they may claim overtime or time off in lieu (TOIL) by agreement with their line managers.
	Except in exceptional circumstances, UK civil servants employed by the FCO at diplomatic missions overseas work similar hours to their counterparts in London.

Diego Garcia: Detainees

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who was responsible for carrying out the modifications to prison facilities on Diego Garcia required under orders issued in December 2001.

David Miliband: In exercise of powers conferred on him by the Prisons Ordinance 1981 of the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Commissioner for the Territory declared certain specified premises in Diego Garcia to be a prison. In December 2001, the Commissioner declared that the fenced compound containing tended or other accommodation facilities, adjacent to the British Indian Ocean Territory Police Station on Diego Garcia, to be a prison.

Diego Garcia: Police Stations

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons a police station is maintained on the island of Diego Garcia.

David Miliband: The UK is responsible for maintaining law and order in the British Indian Ocean Territory and, therefore, a police station is maintained on Diego Garcia. Adjoining the police station is a detention facility operated by the UK authorities. It has primarily been used for the detention of Sri Lankan fishermen caught fishing illegally in the British India Ocean Territory's Fishing and Conservation Management Zone (FCMZ).

Diplomatic Service: Education

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of his Department's advisory board on the appointment of British ambassadors and high commissioners were educated at  (a) private school,  (b) state school,  (c) the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and  (d) other universities.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold information on the educational backgrounds of its employees as a matter of course. The information here has been compiled in order to answer this question. Figures are given for the members of the three selection boards which appoint ambassadors and high commissioners (excluding the non—executive board members of the Number 1 Selection Board).
	Of six members of the Number 1 Selection Board, responsible for senior management structure (SMS) 2-4 appointments: five were educated at private school and one at state school; four were educated at Oxford or Cambridge University and two at other universities.
	Of 23 members of the Number 2 Selection Board, responsible for SMS 1 appointments: 11 were educated at private school, 10 at state school, and school details are not available for the other two; 15 were educated at Oxford or Cambridge University, seven at other universities, and university details are not available for the other one.
	Of seven members of the Band D Selection Board, responsible for Grade 6/7 appointments: five were educated at private school and two at state school; five were educated at Oxford or Cambridge University and two at other universities.

Diplomatic Service: Manpower

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which overseas posts overseas security officer positions are filled by  (a) private contractors and  (b) employees of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) stopped employing overseas security officers following the 2002 FCO review of overseas security management, which recommended separating security management and guarding duties.

Disciplinary Proceedings

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) UK-based officials and  (b) local employees have been dismissed from positions at UK posts for disciplinary reasons since 2000.

Gillian Merron: The number of UK-based officials that were dismissed from the FCO for disciplinary reasons while serving in positions at UK posts (overseas) are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 0 
			 2001 0 
			 2002 0 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 2 
			 2007 2 
			 2008 0 
		
	
	Records are not held centrally on the number of local staff dismissed for disciplinary reasons. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Discrimination

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many claims for discrimination, based on  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) sexual orientation, were brought by members of his Department and settled (i) in and (ii) out of court in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The information is as follows.
	In 2003, there were no employment tribunal claims based on discrimination on grounds of sex, race or sexual orientation against the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	In 2004, there were two tribunal claims based on discrimination on grounds of sex and one on grounds of race brought against the FCO. The two sex claims were dismissed by the tribunal. The race claim was withdrawn. There were no claims based on sexual orientation.
	In 2005, there were six tribunal claims based on discrimination on grounds of race brought against the FCO. The Home Office was a joint respondent in two of these. Two claims were dismissed by the tribunal. Four were settled out of court. There were no claims based on discrimination on sex or sexual orientation.
	In 2006, there were five tribunal claims based on discrimination on grounds of race that included one joint sex/race claim brought against the FCO. The tribunal dismissed all five race claims and ruled that it did not have territorial jurisdiction to hear the sex discrimination claim. There were no claims based on discrimination on sexual orientation.
	In 2007, there was one claim based on discrimination on the grounds of sex and one joint claim based on discrimination on grounds of sex and race brought against the FCO. The sex claim was settled out of court. The joint sex/race claim was dismissed by the tribunal. There were no claims based on discrimination on sexual orientation.
	To date in 2008, there have been two tribunal claims based on discrimination on grounds of race brought against the FCO. Both claims were withdrawn. There have been no claims based on discrimination on grounds of sex or sexual orientation.

Dorneywood

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 19 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1187W, on Dorneywood: official hospitality, what use his Department has made of Dorneywood for official engagements in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has made no use of Dorneywood for its official engagements in the past 12 months.

EDF Energy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contracts  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have with EDF; and how much (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies paid to EDF in each of the last 10 years, broken down by the purpose of the payment.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have six contracts with EDF to supply its UK offices with electricity. This includes five for its London estate, and one for its office in Hanslope Park. These contracts incorporate FCO Services, as they share its premises with the FCO.
	Information relating to the amount paid to EDF, by the FCO and its agencies, is only available from 2004, following the introduction of a central management information system. Information pre-dating the introduction of this system could therefore be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	Please see the following table for further details on the FCO's expenditure with EDF.
	
		
			   £  
			   Electricity  Metering contracts  Other  Comments 
			 2003-04 190,632.69 — — Year only partially accounted for on new management information system. 
			 2004-05 1,254,618.74 3,037.40 — — 
			 2005-06 1,809,299.51 2,058.63 63,689.96 Other expenditure was a connection charge and £621.94 for two charges incurred by our European posts. 
			 2006-07 2,391,364.77 2,019.84 — — 
			 2007-08 2,082,117.03 4,783.46 — — 
			 2008-09 549,865.74 4,267.69 — Financial year up to August 2008.

Embassies: Foreign Workers

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many positions in UK posts overseas have been localised in each of the last five financial years; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Statistics on positions being localised in UK posts have only been compiled since 1 October 2007. The figures include localisations since 1 January 2007.
	115 UK-based positions in our posts overseas have been, or are about to be, localised.

Internet: Regulation

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on regulation of access to the internet in other countries.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly receives representations on freedom of expression including access to information. The Government remain concerned that access to information is greatly restricted in many countries around the world. We continue to raise our concerns on this and other related issues as part of our ongoing human rights dialogue with other countries, both bilaterally and in international fora.

Iraq: Prisoners

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the treatment of Khaled al-Magtari by UK personnel in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: No representations have been received in respect of the treatment of Khaled al-Magtari by UK personnel in Iraq. We are nonetheless aware of the report published by Amnesty International in March 2008 concerning his alleged mistreatment while in detention.

Israel: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take at the United Nations on the reported storage of (i) rockets and (ii) arms by Hamas in civilian areas in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The import and storage of rockets and other weapons in Gaza is of grave concern. We and the Quartet (of which the UN is a member) call on Hamas to accept the Quartet principles: non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations.

Jerusalem: Railways

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Israeli government on the construction of the Jerusalem Light Railway; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: No representations have been made recently but we have raised our concerns about the construction of the Jerusalem Light Railway on occupied land with the Israeli authorities in the past. We believe that any actions that facilitate the transfer of population onto occupied land are illegal under international law.

Mexico: Trade Unions

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Mexican government on the position of the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made no representations to the Mexican government on the position of the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico.
	The explosion at the Pasta de Conchas mine in Mexico in 2006, which killed 65miners from the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union, was a tragedy. We expect the unions and the Government of Mexico to continue to work to improve the safety of mine workers.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions  (a) he,  (b) Ministers and  (c) officials in his Department have had with (i) governments of Arab states and (ii) the government of Israel to secure the release of the Israeli soldiers kidnapped by (A) Hamas and (B) Hezbollah in June and July 2006; what response was received from each; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We welcome the swift implementation of the agreement made on 1 July between the Israeli Government and Hezbollah, which ensured the return of the remains of Eldad Regev and Eldad Goldwasser who were kidnapped in July 2006.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East meet regularly with representatives from Arab states and Israel. We urge all parties to remain committed to the cease-fire and resolve all outstanding issues, including the return of Corporal Shalit.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) the governments of Arab states and  (b) the government of Israel on adherence by Hamas and Israel to the agreement on a six-month ceasefire; what response was received from each; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East regularly meet representatives from Arab States and Israel. We urge all parties to remain committed to the ceasefire, and to reinforce it by, on Israel's part, increasing the flow of goods through the crossings into Gaza, and for Arab states to press Hamas to reconcile with the Palestinian Authority and accept the Quartet principles. We have found broad support for the ceasefire and the relief it has brought to the people of Gaza and southern Israel.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take at the United Nations on compliance by Hamas and Israel with the agreement for a six-month ceasefire; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: During the last five months the Egyptian brokered ceasefire has brought relative calm for the people of Gaza and southern Israel. The recent rocket attacks and Israeli incursions have fractured that calm. It is in both sides' interests to seek to reinforce the ceasefire. We have not and do not intend to take measures at the UN on compliance, which is best discussed between Egypt and the parties.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written Ministerial Correction of 3 July 2008,  Official Report, column 7MC, on the Middle East: peace negotiations, what the pay band is of the senior Civil Service equivalent who has been seconded to work in the right hon. Tony Blair's office.

Gillian Merron: The pay band for the senior civil servant (pay band one) equivalent who is seconded to work in the right hon. Tony Blair's office, ranges from £57,300 to £116,000. These figures are effective as of 1 April 2008.

Official Cars

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which make and model of car he has chosen as his Ministerial car to be provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 414W.

Rackspace

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total value was of each contract awarded to Rackspace by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last nine years.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services have no record of any contracts being awarded to Rackspace since the introduction of PRISM, our financial and management information system in 2004-05.

Science: Manpower

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) scientists and  (b) engineers are employed in scientific and engineering roles in his Department.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) jointly fund the UK's international Science and Innovation Network. The network has 94 staff (21 civil servants and 73 locally-recruited staff) and operates in 39 diplomatic missions in 24 countries overseas. Not everyone in the network is a professional scientist or engineer; but their remit is to help the Government achieve their aims in the field of science and innovation. It would incur disproportionate cost to ascertain figures of how many staff in the network is a professional scientist or engineer.
	FCO Services (a trading fund of the FCO) employs 319 engineers in engineering roles. In addition it currently employs 22 engineering apprentices.

Shares: Sales Methods

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on co-operation to tackle boiler room fraud with his counterparts in  (a) the United States,  (b) Ireland,  (c) Hong Kong,  (d) Singapore,  (e) Gibraltar,  (f) Canada,  (g) Belize,  (h) Nevis,  (i) Cyprus,  (j) Tanzania,  (k) Lebanon,  (l) Latvia and  (m) Spain.

Gillian Merron: To date, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had direct discussions on boiler room fraud with the countries mentioned.

Somalia: International Assistance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the effects of the Dutch government's withdrawal of military aid from Somalia.

Gillian Merron: We are not aware of any Dutch military aid programmes for Somalia but they are currently providing naval escorts for World Food Programme (WFP) shipments to Somalia. In September the EU established a small team to co-ordinate support to European shipping in the region. In addition plans are advanced for a wider EU operation that aims, with full co-operation and co-ordination with ongoing NATO and Combined Task Force 150 activity, to disrupt and deter pirate activity in the region: EU partners have accepted the UK's offer to lead this operation.

Somalia: Politics and Government

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's role was in negotiating the recent agreement between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia.

Gillian Merron: United Kingdom officials supported Ahmedou Ould Abdalla, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, who led the series of UN-sponsored talks in Djibouti. We welcome the peace agreement between the Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia on 9( )June. This is a positive step and we hope all parties will fulfil their 26 October commitment to implement a ceasefire from 5 November.

Special Representative on Climate Change

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what activities the Special Representative on Climate Change has undertaken since his appointment; what progress has been made towards meeting the objectives associated with the post; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports the Government's goal of achieving an ambitious and equitable agreement in Copenhagen by building the necessary political conditions.
	To do this, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has set the building of a high-growth, low-carbon global economy as a strategic priority for the FCO. The role of the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Climate Change is to help build the political conditions for the transition to a low-carbon economy. So far six targeted diplomatic campaigns have been established in support of this objective. My right hon. Friend The Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Climate Change is closely involved in the design and implementation of the campaigns and represents my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary with key partners.
	Progress has been made in building more favourable political conditions. For example, there is now much greater awareness among partner governments that a successful and rapid transition to low carbon is a requisite condition for security and prosperity; there is a stronger consensus in the EU that it should be an early mover in the transition; and momentum is building on the need for an the early deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage. In addition, progress is being made in building a conversation between the EU and China which looks at opportunities in the low carbon transition, and considers how the economic relationship between the two can help accelerate the transition. Building the necessary political conditions will be critical in ensuring a successful outcome at the UN conference in Copenhagen at the end of next year.

Syria: Nuclear Weapons

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1403W, on Syria: nuclear weapons, whether the government of Syria has provided full access to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to sites of concern in Syria; and when the IAEA Secretary General is expected to report the findings of his investigation.

David Miliband: The Deputy Director General of the IAEA, Olli Heinonen, visited Syria on 22-24 June to hold talks with the Syrian Government and investigate the Al Kibar site, where environmental samples were taken. The Syrian Government did not provide the IAEA with unfettered access to all the sites the Agency requested to inspect during that visit. We regret that a follow-up visit to Syria as requested by the IAEA has not taken place.
	We understand that Dr. El Baradei, the IAEA Director General, intends to report formally on the matter at the next IAEA Board of Government from 27-28 November.

Taxis

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on taxis in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: In the UK, the Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO), and its agencies, have spent £547,094.40 on taxis in the last financial year. Taxi expenditure for the FCO's overseas posts is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Treaty of Lisbon

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on ratification of the Lisbon Treaty if another two EU countries announce their refusal to ratify.

Caroline Flint: Twenty-four member states have completed their parliamentary process to approve the Lisbon treaty. The UK ratified on 16 July, following Royal Assent to the EU (Amendment) Bill. The Irish Government have made clear to us their respect for the right of other countries to complete their ratification process. The Government do not comment on other member states' ratification processes. We have made clear that ratification is going ahead because the Lisbon treaty represents a good deal for the UK and will make the EU operate in a more efficient and effective way.

USA: Internet

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the United States authorities to create a central list of internet service providers to assist arrangements for the speedy removal of websites containing images of child abuse.

Bill Rammell: The US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) collates reports of child sexual abuse imagery, and works closely with US law enforcement and US internet service providers to close down sites in the US. The Government, and UK law enforcement agencies, work closely with their US counterparts to tackle online images of child sexual abuse. The UK and US also work together through the G8 and other fora to tackle this issue.

Zimbabwe: United Nations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to secure agreement on the appointment of a UN envoy to Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister called for the UN Secretary General to appoint a formal UN envoy or mission to investigate the human rights situation in Zimbabwe in June when meeting President Bush. The UK also raised this at the UN Security Council on two occasions since 29 March and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has discussed this with the UN Secretary General. We welcome the ongoing engagement of UN Assistant Secretary General Mekerios as the UN Secretary General's senior representative dealing with Zimbabwe.

HEALTH

Arachnoiditis

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who have arachnoiditis as a result of having previously undergone medical procedures involving Myodil.

Ann Keen: We have made no estimate.

Association of Greater Manchester Primary Care Trusts: Grants

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Association of Greater Manchester Primary Care Trusts has given to  (a) the Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisations,  (b) Greater Manchester Voluntary Sector Support and  (c) the Greater Manchester Voluntary Sector Learning Consortium in the last 24 months.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is the responsibility of local primary care trusts to determine how best to use the resources allocated to them to meet the health needs of their local populations.

Cancer: Health Services

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 900W, on cancer: health services, whether any areas are not covered by a cancer network.

Ann Keen: The whole of England is covered by one of 28 cancer networks. We cannot comment on behalf of the devolved Administrations for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Care Homes: Inspections

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) improvement plans,  (b) warning letters,  (c) statutory requirement notices,  (d) changes to conditions of registration and  (e) cancellations of registration were issued by the Commission for Social Care Inspection in each category of care in 2007-08.

Phil Hope: I am informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that it is unable to provide information relating to warning letters or improvement plans, as these are held within individual service records and not specifically recorded in CSCI's central registration and inspection database.
	CSCI is unable to specify the number of imposed changes to conditions of registration prior to 1 November 2007, as its previous database did not make the distinction between changes to registration made by the service provider and changes which had been imposed by CSCI. Between 1 November 2007 and 31 March 2008, there were six imposed changes to conditions of registration, all of which were related to care homes.
	The following table shows numbers of statutory requirement notices issued and non-urgent and urgent cancellations of registration between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008.
	
		
			  Type of service  Statutory requirement notices issued  Non-urgent cancellations of registration  Urgent cancellations of registration( 1) 
			 Domiciliary care agency 45 22 0 
			 Nursing agency 8 17 0 
			 Care home 440 27 9 
			 Adult placement scheme 0 0 0 
			 Total 493 66 9 
			 (1) These are applications under Section 20 of the Care Standards Act 2000, which provides a vehicle for making urgent or emergency applications in circumstances where CSCI staff consider that there is a serious risk to a person's life, health or well-being. There were 11 section 20 applications in 2007-08, of which nine resulted in a cancellation of registration. The remaining two relate to impositions of conditions.   Source:  CSCI registration and inspection database.

Community Hospitals

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of stay in community hospitals was  (a) in England and  (b) in each primary care trust in the last year for which figures were available.

Ann Keen: Where a community hospital is part of an NHS acute trust, or an NHS foundation trust, figures for length of stay are collected for the whole trust and it is not possible to disaggregate those data.
	The following table shows the median figure for length of stay for each primary care trust in England for 2006-07, where the primary care trust is the provider. Information about health services in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly.
	
		
			  All primary care trusts (PCTs) in England  2 days 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 1 
			 Havering PCT 2 
			 Kingston PCT 2 
			 Bromley PCT 2 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 1 
			 Barnet PCT 2 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 2 
			 Hillingdon PCT 1 
			 Enfield PCT 1 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 2 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 1 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 2 
			 Newham PCT 1 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 1 
			 Blackburn With Darwen PCT 1 
			 Herefordshire PCT 2 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 1 
			 Newcastle PCT 2 
			 North Tyneside PCT 1 
			 Hartlepool PCT 2 
			 North Tees PCT 1 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 2 
			 Nottingham City PCT 2 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 2 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 1 
			 Salford PCT 1 
			 Stockport PCT 1 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 2 
			 Luton PCT 1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 1 
			 Rotherham PCT 2 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 1 
			 Blackpool PCT 2 
			 Bolton PCT 1 
			 Ealing PCT 1 
			 Hounslow PCT 1 
			 Warrington PCT 1 
			 Knowsley PCT 1 
			 Oldham PCT 1 
			 Calderdale PCT 1 
			 Darlington PCT 1 
			 Barnsley PCT 2 
			 Bury PCT 1 
			 Swindon PCT 1 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 1 
			 Harrow PCT 1 
			 Camden PCT 2 
			 Islington PCT 2 
			 Croydon PCT 2 
			 Gateshead PCT 1 
			 South Tyneside PCT 2 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 2 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 1 
			 Southampton City PCT 1 
			 Medway PCT 2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 2 
			 Westminster PCT 1 
			 Lambeth PCT 2 
			 Southwark PCT 1 
			 Lewisham PCT 1 
			 Wandsworth PCT 2 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 2 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 1 
			 South Birmingham PCT 2 
			 Shropshire County PCT 2 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 2 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 2 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 2 
			 North Somerset PCT 1 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 2 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 2 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 1 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 1 
			 Leeds PCT 2 
			 Kirklees PCT 2 
			 Wakefield District PCT 2 
			 Sheffield PCT 2 
			 Doncaster PCT 1 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 2 
			 Derby City PCT 2 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 2 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 2 
			 Redbridge PCT 2 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 2 
			 County Durham PCT 2 
			 Cumbria PCT 2 
			 North Lancashire PCT 2 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 1 
			 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 1 
			 Sefton PCT 2 
			 Wirral PCT 1 
			 Liverpool PCT 2 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 1 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 1 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 1 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 2 
			 Trafford PCT 2 
			 Manchester PCT 2 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 2 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 2 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 1 
			 South East Essex PCT 2 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 2 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 2 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 2 
			 Surrey PCT 2 
			 West Sussex PCT 2 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 2 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 2 
			 West Kent PCT 1 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 1 
			 Leicester City PCT 1 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 1 
			 Dudley PCT 1 
			 Sandwell PCT 1 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 1 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 1 
			 Stoke On Trent PCT 1 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 2 
			 Worcestershire PCT 2 
			 Warwickshire PCT 2 
			 Peterborough PCT 1 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 2 
			 Norfolk PCT 2 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 2 
			 Suffolk PCT 2 
			 West Essex PCT 2 
			 North East Essex PCT 2 
			 Mid Essex PCT 2 
			 South West Essex PCT 2 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 2 
			 Hampshire PCT 2 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 1 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 2 
			 Berkshire West PCT 2 
			 Berkshire East PCT 1 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 2 
			 Bristol PCT 1 
			 Wiltshire PCT 2 
			 Somerset PCT 2 
			 Dorset PCT 2 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 1 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 1 
			 Devon PCT 2 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 2 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 2 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 2 
			 Bexley Care Trust 2 
			 Torbay Care Trust 2 
			 Solihull Care Trust 1

Departmental NDPBs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the regulatory  (a) agencies and  (b) non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department will recover their full costs of regulation from fees in the 2008-09 financial year.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is as follows:
	 Agencies
	Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA):
	The MHRA will recover the full cost of regulation from fees.
	 Non-departmental public bodies
	Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI):
	The CSCI will not recover the full cost of regulation from fees.
	CSCI have no power to set their fees.
	General Social Care Council (GSCC):
	The GSCC will not recover the full costs of regulation from fees.
	It is Government policy as set out in debates on the Care Standards Act that the GSCC should not break even with regard to the fees it charges to those registered.
	Healthcare Commission (HC):
	The HC will recover the full costs of regulation from fees.
	Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA):
	The HFEA will recover the full costs of regulation from fees.
	Human Tissue Authority (HTA):
	The HTA will recover the full cost of regulation from fees.
	Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts (Monitor):
	Monitor will not recover the full costs of regulation from fees.
	Although Monitor has the power to require NHS foundation trusts to pay a reasonable annual fee, to date these powers have not been exercised.
	Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB):
	The PMETB will not recover the full costs of regulation from fees.
	The aim was that PMETB would be self-financing from April 2010 but the function of PMETB will now transfer to the General Medical Council in 2010 subject to legislation.

Departmental NDPBs

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department last reviewed the work of  (a) Monitor,  (b) the Standard Dental Advisory Committee,  (c) the Doctors and Dentists Review Body,  (d) the NHS Litigation Authority,  (e) the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement,  (f) the NHS Business Services Authority and  (g) the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency; and if he will place copies of each such review in the Library.

Ben Bradshaw: The following five bodies listed are Arm's Length Bodies (ALBs) and were reviewed as part of the Department's Review of ALBs in 2004:
	Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts (Monitor);
	NHS Litigation Authority;
	NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement;
	NHS Business Services Authority; and
	NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.
	The report, 'Reconfiguring the Department of Health's Arm's Length Bodies', which was issued on 25 November 2004 has been placed in the Library and is published on the Department's website:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/Browsable/DH_4095954
	Since 2004 the following further reviews have taken place:
	The NHS Litigation Authority has recently undergone a 'fitness for purpose' review that is due to report soon.
	The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement is currently undergoing a review that is due to complete in January 2009.
	The following two bodies listed are advisory non-departmental public bodies:
	The Standing Dental Advisory Committee; and
	The Doctors and Dentists Review Body.
	Following a public consultation which ended in January 2008 a decision has been made to abolish the Standing Dental Advisory Committee.
	The response to the consultation has been placed in the Library and published on the Department's website and can be found at:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Responsesto consultations/DH_086586
	The Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB) is one of six independent Pay Review Bodies which advise the Prime Minister and various Secretaries of State on matters referred to them, primarily making annual recommendations about pay levels.
	The DDRB was established in 1971 with changes to the terms of reference introduced in 1998, 2003 and 2007.
	The Department keeps under review the system of setting pay for doctors and dentists and the membership of the DDRB and is satisfied with the current arrangements.

Departmental NDPBs

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by the British Pharmacopoeia Commission;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by the Human Medicines Commission;
	(3)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by the Committee on the Safety of Devices Committee;
	(4)  what  (a) capital,  (b) revenue and  (c) other funding his Department has given to the Borderline Products Independent Review Panel since its inception;
	(5)  what  (a) capital,  (b) revenue and  (c) other funding his Department has given to the Commission on Human Medicines Commission since its inception;
	(6)  what  (a) capital,  (b) revenue and  (c) other funding his Department has given to the Committee on the Safety of Devices since its inception.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not provide any Capital, funding or revenue for the Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) or the Borderline Products Independent Review Panel. Members are paid a preparation and attendance fee and travel costs for turning up to meetings. CHM Commissioners are paid a taxable preparation and attendance fee of £275 and any travel and accommodation expenses for a meeting. The Chairman is paid a taxable preparation and attendance fee of £400 plus travel and accommodation expenses.
	Borderline Products Independent Review Panel Members are paid a preparation and attendance fee of £150 (taxable) and any travel and accommodation expenses for a meeting. The Chairman is paid a preparation and attendance fee of £275 (taxable) plus travel and accommodation expenses.
	The costs for these are entirely funded from the statutory fees raised on medicines licences, which are collected by the Medicines and Health care products Regulatory Agency.
	The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) does not employ any full time whole equivalent staff. The Commission meets monthly and the Secretariat for those meetings is provided by the Commission Secretariat who are employed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
	There are no full-time equivalent staff employed by the Committee on the Safety of Devices. Members are paid a taxable preparation and attendance fee of £168.50 and any travel and accommodation expenses for a meeting. The Chairman is paid a taxable preparation and attendance fee of £210 and any travel and accommodation expenses for a meeting.
	The British Pharmacopoeia Commission (BPC) does not employ any full time whole equivalent staff. The Commission meets three times a year and the Secretariat for those meetings is provided by the British Pharmacopoeia Secretariat who are employed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Questions for written answer were tabled to his Department in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Ben Bradshaw: The numbers of written parliamentary questions for each Session since 2002 are show in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of written parliamentary questions 
			 2002-03 9,929 
			 2003-04 8,356 
			 2004-05 3,270 
			 2005-06 14,893 
			 2006-07 8,621 
			 2007-08 (as of 12 November 2008) 9,164 
		
	
	We do not record separately how many answers referred to the disproportionate cost threshold. Written answers are however a matter of public record and published in the  Official Report.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department is providing to charitable or non-governmental organisations and projects which raise awareness of type 2 diabetes in 2008-09.

Ann Keen: Through the Section 64 General Grant scheme (now known as Third Sector Investment Programme), we gave a total of £80,952 in support of two projects that include raising awareness of Type 2 diabetes in 2008-09.
	The organisations that were awarded Section 64 funding to take forward their projects are as follows:
	In 2007, the Sikh Community Care Project was granted a total of £198,000 over three years for their Diabetes Intervention and Prevention Programme to raise awareness of Type 2 diabetes among local south Asian community groups. The amount received in 2008-09 was £65,000.
	In 2007, Speak Up Self Advocacy was awarded at total of £48,567 for a two year project to develop and distribute a DVD on Type 2 diabetes prevention to people with learning disabilities. The amount received in 2008-09 was £15,952.
	As part of the 'Change4Life' campaign, we will be providing £500,000 in 2008-09 to Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK to highlight the health consequences of obesity. This will include an advertising campaign that will raise awareness of the problems caused by our sedentary lifestyles and poor diets, such as Type 2 diabetes.

Direct Payments

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the lack of requirement in the draft Direct Payments Regulations to  (a) vet friends involved in the provision of care to become a suitable person for individuals who lack capacity and  (b) vet staff directly employed by the family and friends of individuals who lack capacity;
	(2)  what  (a) support and  (b) information his Department proposes to make available to the suitable person identified in the draft Direct Payments Regulations as the person responsible for managing direct payments on behalf of an individual who lacks capacity;
	(3)  what steps he has taken to ensure adequate availability of professionals with specialist knowledge to advise families who will manage direct payments on behalf of an individual who lacks capacity under the provisions of the draft Direct Payments Regulations; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The majority of 'suitable persons' will either be court-appointed deputies, donees of lasting powers of attorneys or friends or relatives who may already be involved in managing and organising the care of the direct payment recipient. It would not be appropriate to vet these people who have been chosen by the person without capacity themselves or the Court of Protection. However, it is up to local authorities to satisfy themselves that identified suitable persons are able to act in the best interests of the person who lacks capacity, even where they are not fully vetted.
	The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 introduces further safeguards where the 'suitable person' is not a friend or family member of the individual whose direct payment they are managing. Where the council engages someone to provide services for that individual, then they become a regulated activity provider. These issues were fully debated during the passage of the Act. In practice, this means that the council must ensure that the individual they engage has undergone a vetting and barring check, as specified in the Act. If the suitable person is a friend or family member, the council will be able to apply for vetting information about potential carers but checks will not be mandatory.
	Guidance recommends that this is a good option currently for Direct Payment recipients and we would envisage that the new guidance would mirror this advice for suitable people. Furthermore, regulation 16 of the draft regulations sets out that the local authority must review the making of the direct payment at certain intervals and under certain circumstances.
	Until the safeguards included in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 are brought into force, safeguards are being provided through Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks. Through a registered body, such as a local authority, a 'suitable person' will be able to apply for a CRB disclosure on the person they wish to employ. This facility is currently available to people managing their own direct payment.
	In relation to support and information available to the person managing direct payments on behalf of an individual who lacks capacity, the Department will issue guidance after analysing responses to the 'Putting People First—Transforming Adult Social Care—Consultation on Direct Payments Regulations' in spring 2009. This guidance will also support suitable persons identified in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and draft Direct Payments regulations made under the provisions in this Act. Furthermore, as part of 'Putting People First', we have encouraged councils to explore different support mechanisms to support people to access Direct Payments.
	Finally, we are taking action to ensure advice is made available to families who will manage direct payments on behalf of an individual who lacks capacity. The Government are making resources available under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) grant to councils and primary care trusts to train professionals on all aspects of working with people who lack capacity and taking best interest decisions on their behalf. Councils decide how best to use these resources on training, awareness raising and appointing specialist MCA professionals.

Drinking Water: Standards

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent the Food Standards Agency has implemented the provisions relating to  (a) bottled and  (b) tap water of the EU Drinking Water Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: European Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water for human consumption is fully implemented in England for bottled waters by the Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water (England) Regulations 2007. These Regulations are the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency. Similar regulations exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	In relation to tap water the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) has been implemented by the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 which apply to water supplies provided by water companies in England. These regulations are the responsibility of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Similar Regulations exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people in Cornwall entered into a drug addiction treatment programme in each year since 1979; and what percentage of those people successfully completed the treatment;
	(2)  how many people in Cornwall were in contact with drug treatment services in each year since 1979.

Dawn Primarolo: Since 2003-04, the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) has collected data from local drug services about clients in structured drug treatment and the treatment they receive, with information on new people entering treatment being collected from 2004-05 onwards.
	The following table shows the number of new people entering drug treatment programmes covered by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Drug Action Team for each of the years for which we have available data.
	
		
			  Number of individuals with new presentation to treatment in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Drug Action Team area, 2004-05 to 2007-08 
			   Number of individuals 
			 2004-05 532 
			 2005-06 764 
			 2006-07 795 
			 2007-08 731 
			  Source: NDTMS 
		
	
	NDTMS does not track individuals through their treatment, so information is not available on how many of these people have successfully completed their treatment. The following table shows the number of people who successfully completed treatment within Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Drug Action Team area for each year since 2004-05. The year of completion is likely in most cases to be later than the year in which treatment was commenced.
	
		
			  Number of individuals successfully completing treatment in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Drug Action Team area, 2004-05 to 2007-08 
			   Number of individuals 
			 2004-05 128 
			 2005-06 157 
			 2006-07 181 
			 2007-08 228 
			  Source: NDTMS 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of people who were in contact with drug treatment services within Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Drug Action Team area for each of the years for which we have available data. Please note that 'people in contact' is defined as those who entered treatment or who were already in treatment during that year.
	
		
			  Number of individuals in contact with structured drug treatment services in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Drug Action Team area, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   Number of individuals 
			 2003-04 1,121 
			 2004-05 1,240 
			 2005-06 1,509 
			 2006-07 1,716 
			 2007-08 1,820 
			  Source: NDTMS

Gastrointestinal System: Cancer

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 93W, on upper gastrointestinal cancer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of this policy in respect of the contrast between outcomes in those areas where the improving outcomes in upper gastrointestinal cancer had been implemented and those where it had not been implemented.

Ann Keen: An assessment of the extent to which outcomes have improved for patients with uppergastrointestinal cancer since the implementation of "Improving Outcomes for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers" will be undertaken in due course, when national data are available.

Gene Therapy Advisory Committee

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee;
	(2)  what  (a) capital,  (b) revenue and  (c) other funding his Department has given to the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee since its inception.

Dawn Primarolo: The Gene Therapy Advisory Committee is an advisory committee to the Department and does not employ any staff. There has been no capital funding. The committee's secretariat, approximately two full-time equivalent posts, are civil servants employed by the Department. These, and other running costs, are accounted for as part of general administration budget expenditure, where it is not customary to separate the running costs of individual advisory committees.

General Practitioners: Finance

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of savings under the practice-based commission scheme a GP practice is allowed to spend in  (a) the next financial year following the making of the savings and  (b) subsequent years;
	(2)  what the recommended list of service initiatives is on which a GP practice could spend savings made under the practice-based commission scheme.

Ben Bradshaw: Practice Based Commissioning guidance ("Practice-based commissioning: practical implementation," November 2006) establishes that practice based commissioners should be allowed to use a minimum of 70 per cent. of any savings achieved through the innovative redesign of services. The remaining 30 per cent. is for the primary care trust (PCT) to use at their discretion. The proportion of savings which can be used by practice based commissioners relate to both the financial year following the making of the savings and to subsequent years where savings are achieved. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library.
	The guidance also establishes that practice based commissioners should use the savings achieved as a result of practice based commissioning activities for the benefit of patients and to be reinvested in patient care. The use of the savings is at local discretion and should be agreed with the PCT. There is no national recommended list of service initiatives on which the savings should be used.

Health Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 83W, on health centres, what assessment he has made of any possible negative consequences that could arise from the provision of a minimum income guarantee to a new GP-led health centre.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for each primary care trust to determine locally the funding for their health centre depending on the range of services and staff required. For some, this will also include what percentage of income should be guaranteed to the provider, and for how long. If the income guarantee is set too high it could reduce the risk on the provider who may not be incentivised to provide a high quality service and reduces value for money. If set too low the general practitioner-led health centre provider may not obtain sufficient income in the early period of the contract to deliver a high quality and usable service 8am to 8pm, 365 days a year.

Health Services: Discrimination

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government has taken to reduce ageism in the provision of healthcare.

Phil Hope: The Department is taking a number of steps to tackle age discrimination, such as work on older people's mental health services by the Care Services Improvement Partnership. Other initiatives such as Dignity in Care are also having an impact on services used by older people. The Government will shortly make a statement setting out a detailed programme of work to tackle age discrimination in the health and social care sectors and to help service providers prepare for legislation.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will increase the quota of Montserratian people allowed to travel to the UK for health care in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: There is no limit on the number of Montserratian people allowed to travel to the UK for health care, provided they pay for it in line with any other overseas visitors. There are no plans to review the quota of patients that the overseas territories can refer to the UK under a bilateral agreement.

Hearing-Impaired: Screening

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data from the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme is collected by  (a) primary care trusts,  (b) strategic health authorities and  (c) his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP) collects data on behalf of the Department through a single national screening information system which has the functionality to provide screening management and performance data at provider, primary care trust, strategic health authorities and national level.
	The main data collected, which are published quarterly, include coverage and outcomes of screening and diagnostic pathways including the numbers of children identified with permanent hearing impairment.
	The NHSP Annual Report and Quality Assurance (QA) Peer Review Report are due to be published later this month.

Heart Diseases

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the quality outcomes framework exception reporting rates for coronary heart disease were for  (a) primary care trusts (PCTs) and  (b) spearhead PCTs in the latest period for which figures are available; what research he has (i) commissioned and (ii) evaluated on the reasons for differences in the rates; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact of the variation in high exception rate reporting on the  (a) health and  (b) working capacity of patients at risk of coronary heart disease in spearhead areas.

Ann Keen: A copy of the information requested on exception rates for coronary heart disease by primary care trust (PCT) with spearhead PCTs identified has been placed in the Library.
	The latest research by the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre (NPCRDC) shows that although practices in deprived areas are slightly more likely to exception report patients than practices in affluent areas, deprivation-related variation in reported quality of care for measured activities reduced during the first three years of the Quality and Outcomes Framework, resulting in more equitable delivery of health care for these activities.
	The NPCRDC conclude that general practitioners in deprived areas achieved high scores without high rates of exception reporting, and the differences in scores between affluent and deprived areas are small and of relatively little clinical significance. This is a considerable achievement for practices in deprived areas.
	There is evidence that some practices, whether in deprived or affluent areas, may be using exception reporting inappropriately. Manipulating QOF data in order to increase rewards without delivering the required level of quality for patients is clearly unacceptable—and also unfair on the majority of practices who comply with QOF requirements. PCTs are responsible in England for verifying evidence for QOF achievement. They should analyse exception rates and recorded prevalence, investigating any outliers, correcting QOF payments where necessary and taking action if they uncover any actual fraud.
	The Government are committed to ensuring, in consultation with the profession, that QOF continually develops and supports leading edge quality of care for patients based on best available evidence. We want to look with the profession at how we can reduce exception reporting in order to ensure that all patients who would benefit receive good quality of care, including those who are hard to reach.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to develop a successor to the current National Service Framework for coronary heart disease.

Ann Keen: Although the Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework (CHD NSF), launched in March 2000, was a 10-year plan of action, heart services must continue to develop after March 2010. The Department is currently considering how it might best support the national health service to build on the considerable success of the CHD NSF.

Hepatitis: Vaccinations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost is for a hepatitis B vaccination; what the average cost was in each year since 1997; what plans he has to reduce the cost; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not centrally supply the hepatitis B vaccine. The price of the hepatitis B vaccines are available in the "British National Formulary", which is published biannually. Pages 168-172 of the "Immunisation against infectious disease (Green Book)" states which patients are recommended to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine. The "Green Book" has already been placed in the Library.

Influenza: Vaccinations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the level of take-up of influenza vaccinations in  (a) Southend West constituency,  (b) Essex and  (c) England in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by age group.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department collects data on influenza uptake for age groups within the national influenza vaccination programme. These are people aged 65 and over and those aged under 65 in a clinical risk group. The Department does not collect data on uptake for those outside these groups. Influenza uptake data are collected by primary care trust (PCT) rather than by constituency.
	Uptake figures by PCT are contained in the following documents which have already been placed in the Library.
	Vaccination uptake among the 65 years and over and under 65 years at risk in England 2007-08.
	Vaccination uptake among the 65 years and over and under 65 years at risk in England 2006-07.
	Influenza vaccine uptake in patients aged 65 years and over and under 65s at risk, England 2005-06
	Influenza vaccine uptake in patients aged 65 years and over and under 65s at risk, England 2004-05
	Data for the 2008-09 season will be available in the new year.

Influenza: Vaccinations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure that influenza vaccines are made available free of charge to essential workers in nursing homes; what criteria are used by his Department in determining who receives influenza vaccines free of charge; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The national policy is that influenza vaccine should be offered to the following groups:
	all those aged 65 years and over;
	all those aged six months or over in a clinical risk group;
	those living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities where rapid spread is likely to follow introduction of infection and cause high morbidity and mortality (this does not include prisons, young offender institutions, university halls of residence etc.); and
	those who are in receipt of a carer's allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill. This should be given on an individual basis at the GP's discretion in the context of other clinical risk groups in their practice.
	As stated in the Chief Medical Officer letter of 31 March 2008, responsibility for immunisation for occupational staff rests with employers and should be provided by occupational health services. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
	The Department has recently published a new leaflet, fact sheet and poster encouraging health care professionals to get vaccinated against the flu.
	The Department's policy on flu vaccination is regularly reviewed by an expert panel of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in the light of all relevant evidence.
	The Department has received letters relating to the influenza policy. In all responses the policy was clearly stated as per the Chief Medical Officer letter of 31 March 2008.

Midwives

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were working in the National Health Service in  (a) England and  (b) Portsmouth in (i) each year between 1997 and 2001 and (ii) 2003 expressed as both (A) headcount and (B) full-time equivalent.

Ann Keen: The number of registered national health service midwives in England and working in Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust in the years requested is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: qualified midwifery staff in England, the south central strategic health authority area and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Headcount 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2003 
			 England 22,385 22,841 22,799 22,572 23,075 23,941 
			  of which   
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 267 272 252 254 241 246 
			
			 England 18,053 18,168 17,876 17,662 18,048 18,444 
			  of which   
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 211 211 195 194 186 188 
			  Notes: 1. Full time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. Data Quality Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source:  The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

NHS Pharmacy Education and Development Committee: Finance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) capital,  (b) revenue and  (c) other funding his Department has given to the NHS Pharmacy Education and Development Committee since its inception.

Dawn Primarolo: None.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government plan to top-slice surpluses in NHS organisations in 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: The 2008-09 National Health Service Operating Framework clearly states that in 2008-09, strategic health authorities (SHAs) may determine and agree locally with their primary care trusts (PCTs) arrangements for the transfer and lodging of resources with the SHA, provided this is within the limit of the overall SHA planned surplus. SHAs will be accountable for the management of this flexibility.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to strategic health authorities on the repayment of funds top-sliced from primary care trusts in the last two years.

Ben Bradshaw: In the Operating Framework for 2007-08 (which has already been placed in the Library) the Department stated that contributions from primary care trusts (PCTs) required to deliver the financial plans within their economy must be subject to locally agreed transparent rules, clearly covering the purpose of the reserves and the timescale over which each organisation would recover its contribution.
	The Operating Framework for 2008-09 also stated that each strategic health authority (SHA) would determine locally the arrangements for transfer and lodging of resources with the SHA.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 87W, on NHS finance, whether NHS organisations that generated a surplus in 2007-08 are permitted to count this towards the surplus they are expected to generate in 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has made clear in the 2008-09 Operating Framework that the surplus delivered by strategic health authorities and primary care trusts in 2007-08 will be carried forward to 2008-09. As a result, this surplus relating to the 2007-08 financial year is included within the financial position reported in 2008-09.
	We also made clear in the 2008-09 Operating Framework that we expect the national health service should plan for a surplus at least equivalent to the surplus achieved in 2007-08.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 87W, on NHS finance, whether his Department expects that the 2007-08 surplus will be spent by the end of 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: We made it clear in the Operating Framework 2008-09 for that surpluses generated in 2007-08 will be carried forward to 2008-09, and that the national health service should plan for a surplus at least equivalent to the surplus achieved in 2007-08.
	As reported in the 2008-09 quarter 1 edition of "The Quarter", the NHS (excluding Foundation Trusts) was forecasting an overall surplus of £1.75 billion. This forecast enables the full deployment of baseline and additional resources for 2008-09, and continues with our strategy for flexibility to respond to fluctuations in demand, while maintaining sufficient funds for investment in new services.
	The surplus generated within the NHS during 2008-09 will be carried forward to 2009-10.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 88-89W, on NHS finance, whether any restrictions are placed on NHS organisations as to how they spend surpluses which are carried over into the next financial year.

Ben Bradshaw: We made clear in the Operating Framework 2008-09 that surpluses generated in 2007-08 will be carried forward to 2008-09, and that the national health service should plan for a surplus at least equivalent to the surplus achieved in 2007-08.
	"The Operating Framework for 2008-09" clearly states that strategic health authorities have the flexibility to determine within their economies, the level of contingency necessary to ensure delivery of their financial plans, and where this contingency is best held.
	Aside from this, the Department has placed no restrictions (further to the normal accounting rules) on how NHS organisations spend their surpluses.

NHS: Personal Records

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 909-10W, on NHS: personal records, how many of the incidents recorded in the table took place on 25 December in each year.

Ann Keen: The number of incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System relating to nutritional care, which occurred on 25 December during 2005, 2006 and 2007 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of incidents 
			 2005 5 
			 2006 9 
			 2007 11

NHS: Private Sector

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 9 of his Department's consultation document on Guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care, which relevant national audits he expects clinicians to contribute to.

Ben Bradshaw: Recommendation 11 of Professor Richards's report, 'Improving Access to Medicines for NHS Patients', states that:
	"The Department of Health should take a lead on commissioning a national audit of demand for unfunded drugs and on the outcome of treatments, working closely with professional organisations and NHS managers."
	A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.
	On 4 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State accepted this recommendation, and asked Professor Richards to lead this piece of work. The reference in the consultation document to "relevant national audits" is therefore a reference to the outcome of this work.

NHS: Telephone Numbering

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much revenue the national health service received from the use of revenue sharing telephone numbers in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally.

NHS: Temporary Employment

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contracts the NHS negotiates with employment agencies regarding the pay of agency staff  (a) in England and  (b) at regional level.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. It is the responsibility of local national health service organisations to plan and manage their demand for agency staff in the context of local business and work force planning. Many NHS organisations use the NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency (PASA), Agency Framework Agreements to contract some of their agency staff as the PASA uses the NHS's buying power to negotiate lower pay rates with agencies.

Obesity: Health Services

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to introduce national guidelines for the way NHS staff deal with bariatric people.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has produced "Guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children", available at
	http://www.nice.org.uk/CG43.
	This guidance is for both health and non-health professionals, and contains guidance on when bariatric surgery may be considered as an option.
	It is up to primary care trusts as local commissioners and providers of services to determine the most appropriate methods to deliver health care to their populations, based on clinical need and effectiveness, and following medical advice.
	The care and treatment of individual patients who undergo surgery remains a matter for their clinical team who will base the treatment on the most appropriate clinical evidence, and the wishes of the patient.

Organ Donation Taskforce

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Organ Donation Taskforce next to report.

Ann Keen: The Organ Donation Taskforce has today published its report 'The potential impact of an opt out system for organ donation in the UK'. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement on the report issued today.

Primary Care Trusts

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports he has received on the late payment of bills by primary care trusts (PCTs); and what representations his Department has received from  (a) cleaning contractors and  (b) hospital food contractors on the late payment of bills by PCTs.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department routinely collects data from the national health service on the payment of bills. The latest data available for quarter 1 of 2008-09 is as follows, shows the number of NHS and non-NHS bills that were paid by each primary care trust.
	NHS trusts and primary care trusts are required to comply with the Confederation of British Industry's "Better Payment Practice Code" target of paying 95 per cent. of undisputed invoices within contract terms of 30 days where no terms have been agreed.
	The Department does not collect information on the payment of bills to specific contractors.
	
		
			  Non-NHS bills  NHS bills  All bills 
			  Non-NHS   NHS 
			  Bills paid in period  Bills paid within target   Bills paid in period  Bills paid within target   Bills paid in period  Bills paid within target  
			  Name  Org code  HA  Business year  No.  No.  %  No.  No.  %  No.  No.  % 
			 North Tees Teaching PCT 5E1 Q30 2008-09 409 389 95 3,808 3,661 96 4,217 4,050 96 
			 Newcastle PCT 5D7 Q30 2008-09 6,770 5,002 74 624 329 53 7,394 5,331 72 
			 North Tyneside PCT 5D8 Q30 2008-09 3,254 2,459 76 447 264 59 3,701 2,723 74 
			 Hartlepool PCT 5D9 Q30 2008-09 2,119 2,056 97 382 367 96 2,501 2,423 97 
			 Darlington PCT 5J9 Q30 2008-09 2,213 1,530 69 221 158 71 2,434 1,686 69 
			 Gateshead PCT 5KF Q30 2008-09 908 758 83 83 78 94 991 836 84 
			 South Tyneside PCT 5KG Q30 2008-09 304 268 88 185 166 90 489 434 89 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 5KL Q30 2008-09 924 840 91 229 206 91 1,153 1,048 91 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 5KM Q30 2008-09 2,838 2,416 85 310 242 78 3,148 2,658 84 
			 County Durham PCT 5ND Q30 2008-09 16,283 11,436 70 930 564 61 17,213 12,000 70 
			 Redcar And Cleveland PCT 5QR Q30 2008-09 1,911 1,684 88 133 105 79 2,044 1,789 88 
			 Northumberland Care PCT TAC Q30 2008-09 5,763 4,206 73 576 306 53 6,339 4,512 71 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 5CC Q31 2008-09 3,498 3,355 96 532 513 96 4,030 3,868 96 
			 Salford PCT 5F5 Q31 2008-09 8,498 8,269 97 498 485 97 8,996 8,754 97 
			 Stockport PCT 5F7 Q31 2008-09 3,544 3,383 95 482 465 96 4,026 3,848 96 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 5HG Q31 2008-09 5,912 5,555 94 532 490 92 6,444 6,045 94 
			 Blackpool PCT 5HP Q31 2008-09 9,118 8,378 92 1,617 1,441 89 10,735 9,819 91 
			 Bolton PCT 5HQ Q31 2008-09 7,684 7,490 97 663 631 95 8,347 8,121 97 
			 Warrington PCT 5J2 Q31 2008-09 4,447 4,210 95 367 348 95 4,814 4,558 95 
			 Knowsley PCT 5J4 Q31 2008-09 4,696 4,348 93 377 289 77 5,073 4,637 91 
			 Oldham PCT 5J5 Q31 2008-09 4,800 4,659 97 598 574 96 5,398 5,233 97 
			 Bury PCT 5JX Q31 2008-09 5,808 5,711 98 738 691 94 6,546 6,402 98 
			 Tameside And Glossop PCT 5LH Q31 2008-09 6,331 6,199 98 495 476 96 6,826 6,675 98 
			 Cumbria Teaching PCT 5NE Q31 2008-09 8,293 5,004 60 774 601 78 9,067 5,605 62 
			 North Lancashire Teaching PCT 5NF Q31 2008-09 6,658 6,260 94 947 703 74 7,605 6,963 92 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 5NG Q31 2008-09 12,392 11,165 90 997 847 85 13,389 12,012 90 
			 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 5NH Q31 2008-09 13,347 12,619 95 942 883 94 14,289 13,502 94 
			 Sefton PCT 5NJ Q31 2008-09 4,383 2,169 49 540 82 15 4,923 2,251 46 
			 Wirral PCT 5NK Q31 2008-09 6,818 6,272 92 565 406 72 7,383 6,678 90 
			 Liverpool PCT 5NL Q31 2008-09 8,052 5,037 63 255 124 49 8,307 5,161 62 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 5NM Q31 2008-09 7,509 6,499 87 657 427 65 8,166 6,926 85 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 5NN Q31 2008-09 3,512 3,119 89 517 390 75 4,029 3,509 87 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 5NP Q31 2008-09 8,262 7,541 91 669 492 74 8,931 8,033 90 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 5NQ Q31 2008-09 6,432 6,173 96 494 461 93 6,926 6,634 96 
			 Trafford PCT 5NR Q31 2008-09 4,968 4,834 97 364 347 95 5,332 5,181 97 
			 Manchester PCT 5NT Q31 2008-09 11,991 8,031 67 931 465 50 12,922 8,496 66 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 5EF Q32 2008-09 2,307 2,086 90 403 298 74 2,710 2,384 88 
			 Rotherham PCT 5H8 Q32 2008-09 6,211 5,967 96 526 521 99 6,737 6,488 96 
			 Calderdale PCT 5J6 Q32 2008-09 2,840 2,778 98 481 465 97 3,321 3,243 98 
			 Barnsley PCT 5JE Q32 2008-09 6,712 6,199 92 668 628 94 7,380 6,827 93 
			 Leeds PCT 5N1 Q32 2008-09 13,249 12,831 97 960 909 95 14,209 13,740 97 
			 Kirklees PCT 5N2 Q32 2008-09 6,005 5,350 89 631 561 89 6,636 5,911 89 
			 Wakefield District PCT 5N3 Q32 2008-09 5,777 5,207 90 815 644 79 6,592 5,851 89 
			 Sheffield PCT SN4 Q32 2008-09 8,861 6,991 79 813 655 81 9,674 7,646 79 
			 Doncaster PCT 5N5 Q32 2008-09 5,453 5,239 96 747 684 92 6,200 5,923 96 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 5NV Q32 2008-09 12,768 10,112 79 1,714 1,140 67 14,482 11,252 78 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 5NW Q32 2008-09 4,811 4,229 88 758 641 85 5,569 4,870 87 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 5NX Q32 2008-09 4,940 3,588 73 612 351 57 5,552 3,939 71 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 5NY Q32 2008-09 7,890 6,973 88 1,091 892 82 8,981 7,865 88 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT TAN Q32 2008-09 6,472 5,488 85 398 343 86 6,870 5,831 85 
			 Nottingham City PCT 5EM Q33 2008-09 5,642 5,200 92 500 403 81 6,142 5,603 91 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 5ET Q33 2008-09 1,844 1,756 95 304 290 95 2,148 2,046 95 
			 Derbyshire County PCT SN6 Q33 2008-09 11,934 10,417 87 1,137 871 77 13,071 11,288 86 
			 Derby City PCT 5N7 Q33 2008-09 3,908 3,770 96 857 847 99 4,765 4,617 97 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 5N8 Q33 2008-09 14,229 9,139 64 1,140 662 58 15,369 9,801 64 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 5N9 Q33 2008-09 10,576 8,591 81 1,332 993 75 11,908 9,584 80 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 5PA Q33 2008-09 13,812 12,798 93 1,296 1,195 92 15,108 13,993 93 
			 Leicester City PCT 5PC Q33 2008-09 5,053 4,336 86 496 398 80 5,549 4,734 85 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 5PD Q33 2008-09 52,285 49,847 95 942 804 85 53,227 50,651 95 
			 Herefordshire PCT 5CN Q34 2008-09 6,787 5,653 83 432 361 84 7,219 6,014 83 
			 South Birmingham PCT 5M1 Q34 2008-09 10,382 8,763 84 886 535 60 11,268 9,298 83 
			 Shropshire County PCT 5M2 Q34 2008-09 5,257 5,044 96 653 610 93 5,910 5,654 96 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 5M3 Q34 2008-09 12,029 10,978 91 531 493 93 12,560 11,471 91 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 5MD Q34 2008-09 5,750 5,424 94 617 435 71 6,367 5,859 92 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 5MK Q34 2008-09 3,581 3,450 96 506 484 96 4,087 3,934 96 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 5MV Q34 2008-09 7,174 4,065 57 508 346 68 7,682 4,411 57 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 5MX Q34 2008-09 7,248 6,430 89 533 523 98 7,781 6,953 89 
			 Dudley PCT 5PE Q34 2008-09 9,903 9,149 92 543 378 70 10,446 9,527 91 
			 Sandwell PCT 5PF Q34 2008-09 3,440 3,031 88 305 275 90 3,745 3,306 88 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 5PG Q34 2008-09 8,961 7,777 87 669 625 93 9,630 8,402 87 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 5PH Q34 2008-09 3,802 3,216 85 474 256 54 4,276 3,472 81 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT 5PJ Q34 2008-09 6,424 5,527 86 556 406 73 6,980 5,933 85 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 5PK Q34 2008-09 7,547 5,477 73 989 796 80 8,536 6,273 73 
			 Worcestershire PCT 5PL Q34 2008-09 7,129 6,116 86 915 761 83 8,044 6,877 85 
			 Warwickshire PCT 5PM Q34 2008-09 10,301 8,170 79 1,016 521 51 11,317 8,691 77 
			 Solihull Care PCT TAM Q34 2008-09 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Luton PCT 5GC Q35 2008-09 2,321 1,841 79 513 253 49 2,834 2,094 74 
			 South East Essex PCT 5P1 Q35 2008-09 4,733 4,081 86 1,533 1,288 84 6,266 5,369 86 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 5P2 Q35 2008-09 6,699 6,027 90 701 611 87 7,400 6,638 90 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 5P3 Q35 2008-09 4,574 3,580 78 496 310 63 5,070 3,890 77 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 5P4 Q35 2008-09 6,711 5,438 81 771 526 68 7,482 5,964 80 
			 Peterborough PCT 5PN Q35 2008-09 11,264 10,455 93 573 503 88 11,837 10,958 93 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 5PP Q35 2008-09 9,779 6,864 70 1,246 538 43 11,025 7,402 67 
			 Norfolk PCT 5PQ Q35 2008-09 9,244 7,262 79 425 304 72 9,669 7,566 78 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 5PR Q35 2008-09 2,860 2,440 85 625 460 74 3,485 2,900 83 
			 Suffolk PCT 5PT Q35 2008-09 8,941 8,278 93 872 688 79 9,813 8,966 91 
			 West Essex PCT 5PV Q35 2008-09 4,923 3,696 75 635 540 85 5,558 4,236 76 
			 North East Essex PCT 5PW Q35 2008-09 7,112 5,068 71 506 324 64 7,618 5,392 71 
			 Mid Essex PCT 5PX Q35 2008-09 5,163 4,216 82 582 446 77 5,745 4,662 81 
			 South West Essex PCT 5PY Q35 2008-09 7,220 6,342 88 526 399 76 7,746 6,741 87 
			 Havering PCT 5A4 Q36 2008-09 3,500 3,195 91 263 192 73 3,763 3,387 90 
			 Kingston PCT 5A5 Q36 2008-09 1,301 1,117 86 433 373 86 1,734 1,490 86 
			 Bromley PCT 5A7 Q36 2008-09 4,400 4,024 91 494 373 76 4,894 4,397 90 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 5A8 Q36 2008-09 3,984 3,784 95 388 380 98 4,372 4,164 95 
			 Barnet PCT 5A9 Q36 2008-09 7,027 5,928 84 369 290 79 7,396 6,218 84 
			 Hillingdon PCT 5AT Q36 2008-09 2,772 2,047 74 537 362 67 3,309 2,409 73 
			 Enfield PCT 5C1 Q36 2008-09 4,750 4,384 92 810 769 95 5,560 5,153 93 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 5C2 Q36 2008-09 7,121 6,199 87 505 423 84 7,626 6,622 87 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 5C3 Q36 2008-09 6,541 5,799 89 387 325 84 6,928 6,124 88 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 5C4 Q36 2008-09 8,702 7,322 84 708 532 75 9,410 7,854 83 
			 Newham PCT 5C5 Q36 2008-09 5,478 4,714 86 340 300 88 5,818 5,014 86 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 5C9 Q36 2008-09 6,915 6,655 96 1,593 1,560 98 8,508 8,215 97 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 5H1 Q36 2008-09 4,629 4,240 92 518 383 74 5,147 4,623 90 
			 Ealing PCT 5HX Q36 2008-09 8,200 7,640 93 597 485 81 8,797 8,125 92 
			 Hounslow PCT 5HY Q36 2008-09 4,663 4,196 90 304 206 68 4,967 4,402 89 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 5K5 Q36 2008-09 5,262 3,559 68 689 416 60 5,951 3,975 67 
			 Harrow PCT 5K6 Q36 2008-09 231 231 100 2,876 2,795 97 3,107 3,026 97 
			 Camden PCT 5K7 Q36 2008-09 6,787 3,995 59 659 514 78 7,446 4,509 61 
			 Islington PCT 5K8 Q36 2008-09 7,032 5,873 84 508 368 72 7,540 6,241 83 
			 Croydon PCT 5K9 Q36 2008-09 7,050 5,166 73 680 493 73 7,730 5,659 73 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 5LA Q36 2008-09 6,446 5,665 88 530 267 50 6,976 5,932 85 
			 Westminster PCT 5LC Q36 2008-09 5,469 5,045 92 655 548 84 6,124 5,593 91 
			 Lambeth PCT 5LD Q36 2008-09 8,214 5,999 73 941 745 79 9,155 6,744 74 
			 Southwark PCT 5LE Q36 2008-09 7,113 4,974 70 75,648 73,829 98 82,761 78,803 95 
			 Lewisham PCT 5LF Q36 2008-09 4,124 3,662 89 536 460 86 4,660 4,122 88 
			 Wandsworth PCT 5LG Q36 2008-09 9,645 8,206 85 998 627 63 10,643 8,833 83 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 5M6 Q36 2008-09 2,100 1,714 82 412 333 81 2,512 2,047 81 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 5M7 Q36 2008-09 6,366 5,125 81 1,143 723 63 7,509 5,848 78 
			 Redbridge PCT 5NA Q36 2008-09 8,511 7,819 92 548 440 80 9,059 8,259 91 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 5NC Q36 2008-09 4,061 3,712 91 485 396 82 4,546 4,108 90 
			 Bexley Care PCT TAK Q36 2008-09 2,678 2,545 95 535 525 98 3,213 3,070 96 
			 Medway PCT 5L3 Q37 2008-09 4,404 4,043 92 778 566 73 5,182 4,609 89 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 5LQ Q37 2008-09 2,445 1,961 80 849 246 29 3,294 2,207 67 
			 Surrey PCT 5P5 Q37 2008-09 17,553 14,521 83 1,697 1,116 66 19,250 15,637 81 
			 West Sussex PCT 5P6 Q37 2008-09 13,493 11,589 86 1,079 599 56 14,572 12,188 84 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 5P7 Q37 2008-09 5,846 5,429 93 487 231 47 6,333 5,660 89 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 5P8 Q37 2008-09 2,078 1,809 87 328 198 60 2,406 2,007 83 
			 West Kent PCT 5P9 Q37 2008-09 8,668 7,595 88 2,057 1,411 69 10,725 9,006 84 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 5QA Q37 2008-09 6,623 3,532 53 624 432 69 7,247 3,964 55 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 5CQ Q38 2008-09 4,395 4,234 96 643 612 95 5,038 4,846 96 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 5FE Q38 2008-09 8,371 7,616 91 419 388 93 8,790 8,004 91 
			 Southampton City PCT 5L1 Q38 2008-09 8,309 8,172 98 581 568 98 8,890 8,740 98 
			 Hampshire PCT 5QC Q38 2008-09 23,058 20,979 91 2,186 1,945 89 25,244 22,924 91 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 5QD Q38 2008-09 2,150 1,845 86 222 137 62 2,372 1,982 84 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 5QE Q38 2008-09 11,456 10,523 92 772 649 84 12,228 11,172 91 
			 Berkshire West PCT 5QF Q38 2008-09 5,717 4,206 74 470 152 32 6,187 4,358 70 
			 Berkshire East PCT 5QG Q38 2008-09 4,456 3,147 71 468 169 36 4,924 3,316 67 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 5QT Q38 2008-09 11,758 9,729 83 459 357 78 12,217 10,086 83 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 5A3 Q39 2008-09 2,140 1,895 89 479 381 80 2,619 2,276 87 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 5F1 Q39 2008-09 11,651 10,525 90 553 426 77 12,204 10,951 90 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 5FL Q39 2008-09 2,823 2,621 93 295 168 57 3,118 2,789 89 
			 Swindon PCT 5K3 Q39 2008-09 3,567 3,242 91 569 506 89 4,136 3,748 91 
			 North Somerset PCT 5M8 Q39 2008-09 1,869 1,787 96 376 365 97 2,245 2,152 96 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 5QH Q39 2008-09 11,502 10,377 90 1,520 1,361 90 13,022 11,738 90 
			 Bristol PCT 5QJ Q39 2008-09 4,527 3,965 88 858 476 55 5,385 4,441 82 
			 Wiltshire PCT 5QK Q39 2008-09 8,082 7,199 89 856 692 81 8,938 7,891 88 
			 Somerset PCT 5QL Q39 2008-09 9,496 9,302 98 814 795 98 10,310 10,097 98 
			 Dorset PCT 5QM Q39 2008-09 13,659 12,605 92 1,076 783 73 14,735 13,388 91 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT 5QN Q39 2008-09 4,347 4,241 98 530 511 96 4,877 4,752 97 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 5QP Q39 2008-09 10,054 9,674 96 600 547 91 10,654 10,221 96 
			 Devon PCT 5QQ Q39 2008-09 14,359 12,332 86 1,309 903 69 15,668 13,235 84 
			 Torbay Care PCT TAL Q39 2008-09 9,437 9,120 97 466 328 70 9,903 9,448 95 
			 Total1,050,852 906,423 86 182,746 157,717 86 1,233,598 1,064,140 86

Prostate Cancer

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received treatment for prostate cancer in  (a) the UK,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people received treatment for prostate cancer in (a) the UK, (b) the North East, (c) Tees Valley District and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2006 for England and Wales, and the year 2005 for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The number of prostate cancer cases receiving treatment in the United Kingdom (UK) is only available for the year 2001. There are no figures for the UK for the other years requested because the number of prostate cancer cases receiving treatment is only available for the year 2001 for Northern Ireland.
	Table 1 gives the number of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer that have received treatment for 2001 for (a) the United Kingdom, and for the years 1997 to 2006 for (b) the North East Government Office Region, (c) Tees Valley District, and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Parliamentary Constituency. In 2001, for 41 per cent of prostate cancer cases in the UK, either no treatment information was recorded or patients were recorded as having no treatment.
	
		
			  Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer( 1)  receiving treatment( 2) , males: United Kingdom( 3) , north east government office region, Tees Valley District( 4) , and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency( 5) , 1997 to 2006 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 United Kingdom — — — — 19,130 — — — — — 
			 North East 447 911 1,038 1,060 1,180 1,163 1,227 1,066 1,165 1,010 
			 Tees Valley 88 229 309 288 291 288 330 272 293 238 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 13 45 56 44 47 42 65 62 55 42 
			 (1) Prostate cancer is coded to C61 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (1CD-10). (2) Number of cases that have one or more treatments recorded. (3 )The number of prostate cancer cases receiving treatment in the United Kingdom is only available for the year 2001. There are no figures for the UK for the other years requested because the number of prostate cancer cases receiving treatment is only available for the year 2001 for Northern Ireland. (4 )Tees Valley is defined as the Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington local authorities. (5 )Based on boundaries as of 2007. (6 )Cancer registration data for 1997 are not sufficiently robust to accurately identify treatment in prostate cancer patients. In 1997, for 50 per cent. of all prostate cancer cases in the north east government office region, either no treatment was recorded or patients were recorded as having no treatment, this compares to an average of 18 per cent. for the years 1998 to 2006. A Radical Therapy for Localised Prostate Cancer audit, that included all patients in the northern and Yorkshire region diagnosed with prostate cancer during 1998, was published in 2004.  Source:  Office for National Statistics; Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit; Scottish Cancer Registry, NHS National Services Scotland; and Northern Ireland Cancer Registry.

Social Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specialist areas of work are of each official in his Department that works on social care.

Phil Hope: The strategic objectives of the Department are better health and well-being for all, better care for all and better value for all. Every official within the Department contributes, through their personal objectives, to achieving those goals for both health and social care.
	The social care, local government and care partnerships directorate has the specific responsibility for the development of policy on adult social care, and on mental health and health services for offenders. In meeting this responsibility, the directorate is supported by the rest of the Department. The directorate has an establishment of 149.01 whole time equivalent officials. Of these 100.66 whole time equivalents work exclusively on adult social care policy. The specialist areas of work of these officials are in the following table.
	
		
			  Administrative unit  Description of work  Number of whole time equivalents 2008-09 
			 Social care policy and innovation To develop policies and support innovative practices that promote equality, human rights and social inclusion by embedding choice, control and personal safety in social care services. 56.43 
			 Social care leadership and performance To improve the quality, performance and status of social care through strengthening the performance framework, increasing the capacity and capability of the work force, enhancing leadership and providing a local government perspective in the Department 22.88 
			 Social care strategy unit To provide overall strategic direction on priorities for social care and developing the green paper on reform to care and support. 17.80 
			 Social care finance To lead on the key issues related to the funding of social care in England. 3.55

Social Services: Standards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to  (a) improve social care provisions for people with disabilities and  (b) raise standards in social care provision for the elderly; and what further steps the Government plan to take to improve social care provision.

Phil Hope: In 'Putting People First', (2007), the Government, and their partners in the sector, set out their commitment to transform social care to meet the needs and expectations of those who need support and their families. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.
	We have provided £520 million through the Social Care Reform Grant to help councils undertake the necessary reforms. The Department of Health is working closely with key stakeholders to deliver this agenda and a new National Director for Transforming Adult Social Care has been appointed to help councils achieve a systemic shift in adult care towards user control, prevention and enhanced information and advice services.
	In addition, the Office for Disability Issues published the Independent Living Strategy in March 2008. The strategy sets out a five-year plan that seeks to realise the Government's aim that all disabled people should be able to live autonomous lives, and to have the same choice, freedom, dignity and control over their lives as non-disabled people.
	The Department, together with the Office for Disability Issues, is leading work on the 'Life Chances' commitment that, by 2010, there should be a user-led organisation (ULO) modelled on existing Centres for Independent Living in every local authority area with Social Services responsibilities. ULOs are led and controlled by disabled people and are key to both delivering personalisation and achieving independent living for disabled people.

Southmead Hospital: PFI

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for the viability of the private finance initiative project to replace Southmead hospital of the current economic situation; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The two consortiums competing to be appointed preferred bidder on the private finance initiative scheme at North Bristol NHS Trust for the redevelopment of the Southmead hospital site are currently finalising their bids. The Trust, the Department and the bidders are holding discussions about current economic conditions and how these should be factored into the bids as part of the competitive process.
	As with all private finance initiative schemes, appointment of the preferred bidder is then dependent on a business case demonstrating value for money and affordability being submitted to and approved by the Department.

Vaccinations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the  (a) hepatitis B and  (b) influenza immunisation programme; when each was last reviewed; with what results; what recent representations he has received on each programme; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The hepatitis B and influenza immunisation programmes are kept under review by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), who provide expert impartial advice to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
	JCVI last considered the hepatitis B vaccination programme in June 2008. The minutes of the meeting can be found at the following website, and also been placed in the Library.
	http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/jcvi/JCVI_draft_ minutes_final_17_June_08.pdf
	The committee will consider hepatitis B vaccination again after the completion of an independent peer-review of the cost-effectiveness of introducing hepatitis B vaccine as a routine infant, routine adolescent or as a selective infant immunisation programme.
	JCVI last considered the influenza (flu) vaccination programme in February 2008 when the recommendations for the current flu campaign were discussed. The committee noted that there would be no changes to the risk groups for the current flu campaign. The minutes of the meeting can be found at the following website, the minutes have also been placed in the Library.
	http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/jcvi/mins13Feb08.htm
	A JCVI influenza subgroup will meet on 10 December 2008.
	An independent panel was appointed by the Department in 2005 to review the arrangements for the seasonal influenza programme in England. This report was published in March 2007. The report is available at the following website, and has also been placed in the Library.
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Flu/Flugeneral information/DH_072767
	The Department has received correspondence relating to the clinical at risk groups. The response to these letters stressed the importance of reducing morbidity in high risk groups and made clear the independent advice from the JCVI. Further to this, senior officials from the Department meet with the UK Vaccine Industry Group (UVIG) on a six monthly basis to discuss flu vaccine supply.

Vaccinations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which groups of workers are eligible for the  (a) hepatitis B vaccination and  (b) vaccination against influenza; which groups were eligible in each year since 1997; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Details of workers who are recommended to receive a hepatitis B immunisation are provided in the "Immunisation against infections diseases, 2006 'Green Book'" chapter 18, page 172. A copy of this has already been placed in the Library. These groups were also recommended in the "Immunisation against infections diseases 1996 'Green Book'" chapter 18, pages 101-102. A copy of this is in the Library. Further information on hepatitis B immunisation can be found in the "Health clearance for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV: New healthcare workers, 2007 guidance". The guidance can be found at the following website and it has also been placed in the Library.
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_073132
	Influenza immunisation was first recommended for health and social care workers in a letter from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in 2000 (PL/CMO/2000/3). This letter can be downloaded from the following website and it has been placed in the Library.
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Professionalletters/Chiefmedicalofficerletters/DH_4004974
	Information on influenza policy is published in annual CMO letters. They can be downloaded from the following website.
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/MinistersandDepartmentLeaders/ChiefMedicalOfficer/CMOPublications/CMOLetters/index.htm
	Vaccination for poultry workers was introduced by the Department at the end of the 2006-07 influenza season. Guidance on this programme can be found at the following website and it has also been placed in the Library.
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_063506
	The Department has received very low levels of correspondence on this issue.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce alcohol consumption among 11 to 15 year olds who drink regularly.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 13 November 2008
	I have been asked to reply.
	The proportion of teenagers who drink regularly is falling but those who do drink are drinking a lot more. Young people who drink too much not only put their own health at risk, but are more likely to get involved in antisocial behaviour and contribute to insecurity on our streets. The Youth Alcohol Action Plan, published in June, sets out a number of actions to address the problems of young people's alcohol consumption. We will provide clearer health information for parents and young people about how consumption of alcohol, particularly at an early age, can affect children and young people. This will include the chief medical officer's guidelines on safer drinking by young people and a comprehensive communications campaign aimed at 11 to 15 year-olds to be launched in spring 2009.
	In line with recommendations from an independent review of drug and alcohol education, Ministers announced on 30 October 2008 that Personal Health and Social Education (PHSE) would be made statutory subject. This would underline the key role PSHE has to play in young people's personal development.
	Very few young people are addicted to alcohol but we know that a small proportion of young people do drink too much which puts them at risk of harm. DCSF are working closely with the National Treatment Agency (NTA) to continue to improve the accessibility and quality of substance misuse treatment for young people (under 18), with the aim of ensuring that effective treatment is available for any young person with alcohol problems that needs it.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Electricity: Research

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what research the Government are sponsoring into static inverters for the conversion of  (a) alternating to direct current and  (b) direct to alternating current.

Si�n Simon: The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Technology Strategy Board, funded through the Science and Research, and Innovation Budgets respectively, support a portfolio of research grants focused on low carbon energy technologies.
	EPSRC has not identified any projects that it funds which contain the words 'static inverter' in the title or abstract, but within the broad area of 'Power Electronics' and 'Electrical Motor and Drive Systems' it has a current research portfolio of 13.5 million.
	The Technology Strategy Board has not funded any research projects focused solely on static inverters. However, static inverters are a part of the systems issues considered in funded projects relevant to, for example, the storage and integration of wind energy.

Higher Education Funding Council for England: North West

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment has been made by his Department of the effectiveness of the Higher Education Funding Council for England's work with  (a) regional higher education associations in the North West and  (b) the North West Universities Association.

David Lammy: We welcome the close and effective collaboration between the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the regional higher education associations in the North West and the North West Universities Association. We are confident that they will continue to succeed in their efforts to increase and widen participation in higher education and to equip learners with the skills that will enable them to flourish during new economic circumstances.

Higher Education: Admissions

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much the Higher Education Funding Council for England spent  (a) in England and  (b) in the North West in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08 on initiatives to widen participation in higher education.

David Lammy: The Higher Education Funding Council for England spent the following on widening participation activities:
	
		
			   
			   England  North West 
			 2006-07 381,126,970 54,096,138 
			 2007-08 408,737,978 57,102,561

Higher Education: Admissions

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent representations he has received on the financial accessibility of universities; what response he has made in each case; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has not received any recent representations on this issue.
	This Government are firmly committed to widening participation in higher education (HE) for those from poorer and other under-represented backgrounds. The availability of finance should not present a barrier to students who have the ability and wish to study in higher education, as there is a generous package of support available in the form of grants and loans. For full-time students, the package includes a means-tested grant and loan for living costs plus a non means-tested fee loan. In addition, targeted financial support is provided for particular groups, for example, the disabled and students with childcare responsibilities.

Vocational Education: North West

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had with educational institutions in the north west on improving opportunities for vocational learners to enter higher education institutions.

David Lammy: Ministers and officials speak to many institutions and organisations about issues that affect individuals' progression to higher education. Progression to higher education for vocational learners is an important element in our drive to capture, enrich and exploit the talents and potential of all learners; and the Lifelong Learning Network programme has been established precisely to focus on progression and widening opportunity for vocational learners, putting them on the same footing as those following more traditional academic pathways.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has invested over 100 million across 2005-11 in 30 Lifelong Learning Networks (LLNs). These networks make an important contribution to a number of the Government's strategic objectives including lifelong learning, credit transfer, articulation arrangements between higher education programmes and the Qualifications and Credit Framework, employer engagement and workplace learning, and progression from the 14-19 diplomas. HEFCE officers, including those from widening participation teams, meet with senior staff from institutions in the north west in the normal course of HEFCE business and progression for vocational learners and widening participation forms part of that dialogue. HEFCE officers were involved in discussions with the Greater Merseyside and West Lancashire LLNs about additional student numbers for 2009-10 and how they should be distributed and targeted in priority areas.
	Since Blackpool college's proposal to develop a Higher Education Centre, HEFCE have maintained close strategic engagement with the college, undertaking regular visits and meetings with the senior management team. That activity is also ongoing with the Blackburn and Burnley Higher Education Centre developments.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Census

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what assessment has been made of the accuracy of the last national census;
	(2)  what questions will be included in the next census which were not in the last census;
	(3)  what the estimated cost of production of a single national address register for use in the 2011 census will be; what sources will be used to compile the register; and whether the register will be single-use.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking (a) what assessment has been made of the accuracy of the last national census, (b) what questions will be included in the next census which were not in the last census, and (c) what the estimated cost of production of a single national address register for use in the 2011 Census will be; what sources will be used to compile the register; and whether the register will be single-use. (234991, 234992, 235103)
	ONS has reported fully on the accuracy and quality of the 2001 Census in the 2001 Census Quality Report, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons library and on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/proj_gr.asp
	In conjunction with the 2001 Census General Report it provides a comprehensive evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the Census operation. The General Report is also available in the House of Commons library and on the website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/proj_gr.grasp
	In addition, further information about local and national response rates is available on the website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/methodology.asp
	Separate reviews of the accuracy of the 2001 Census were conducted by the Treasury Select Committee, the Local Government Association and the Statistics Commission.
	(b) It will not be possible to confirm what questions and response categories are to be included in the 2011 Census until formal approval is given by Parliament in 2010. Current proposals for questions will be published in a White Paper shortly. The proposals include a number of new questions and these are:
	civil partnership status
	citizenship (passports held)
	month and year of entry into UK
	intended length of stay for migrants who have arrived in the last 12 months
	national identity
	language
	second residence
	a number of bedrooms
	a type of central heating.
	In addition we are planning to ask basic demographic questions from visitors in households on census night.
	(c) The cost of developing an Address Register for the 2011 Census is estimated to be about 10 million over the years 2008-11. The primary sources of address lists, namely the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF), the Ordnance Survey MasterMap Address Layer 2 (AL2), and the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), which is administered by the local authority community through the Local Government Information House (LGIH), will be matched to find the common elements and to identify differences for more research and verification. Although the Address Register strategy takes account of other national addressing initiatives it is only being developed for the 2011 Census. Subject to having appropriate data sharing agreements in place, it should provide a one-off quality improvement to each of the main address sources. It is also hoped that the development of processes and delivery partnership models could be used to support the wider agenda for a single National Address Register in the future.

Charities

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many registered charities there were in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the gross income was of registered charities in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Rosie Chapman, dated 14 November 2008:
	Parliamentary Questions 236362 and 236363 (numbers of registered charities)
	As Executive Director of Policy and Effectiveness at the Charity Commission I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Questions, both tabled for answer on 17 November.
	Below is a table which details the number of charities registered with the Charity Commission, and their gross income, for each of the last five years. Please be aware that the Charity Commission only registers charities based in England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators. In addition, as of April 2007, only charities with an income of 5,000 a year or more have been required to register with us.
	
		
			   Number of registered charities  Gross income (s billion) 
			 2007 169,297 44.55 
			 2006 168,609 41.26 
			 2005 167,466 37.86 
			 2004 166,336 34.86 
			 2003 164,781 31.62 
		
	
	I hope this is helpful. If you have any further questions then please do contact me directly.

Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many children there are in each age group, broken down by  (a) local authority and  (b) constituency.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question about how many children there are in each age group, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) constituency. (234689)
	Table 1 shows the estimated resident population for the United Kingdom by local authority for children aged 0-15 by single year of age.
	Table 2 shows the estimated resident population for the United Kingdom by parliamentary constituency for children aged 0-15 by single year of age (total numbers only for Scottish parliamentary constituencies).
	Copies of the tables have been placed in the Library of the House.

Death: Weather

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many excess winter deaths of people with  (a) terminal illnesses and  (b) disabilities there were in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated November 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many excess winter deaths of people with (a) terminal illnesses and (b) disabilities there were in each of the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (235926)
	The information requested is not available. The particulars recorded at death registration include the underlying cause of death and any contributory causes, but not whether the deceased had (a) a terminal illness or (b) a disability at the time of death. Whether an illness is considered terminal is a matter of clinical judgement in each individual case, and cannot be inferred from the mention of a condition at death registration alone.

Departmental Buildings

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 7 October 2008,  Official Report, column 557W, on departmental buildings, which contractors provided goods and services for the expenditure on  (a) 10-12 Downing Street,  (b) 70 Whitehall,  (c) Admiralty Arch and  (d) minor furniture and fittings.

Kevin Brennan: The names of the contractors that provided goods and services recorded as departmental building fixed assets on page 106 of the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts 2007-08 can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Ecovert FM

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 155W, on Ecovert FM, what his definition is of minor works; and what the level of the threshold is.

Kevin Brennan: Minor works are any reactive maintenance works that fall below the contractual financial threshold. The threshold level is commercial in confidence.

Elderly: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of the population is over state pension age in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question regarding what percentage of the population is over state pension age in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales. (234933)
	The attached table shows the percentage of persons of pensionable age for principal seaside towns in England and Wales for mid-2006, the latest year for which estimates are available.
	
		
			  Percentage of persons of pensionable age in principal seaside towns in England and Wales, mid-2006 
			  Principal seaside town  Percentage of persons of pensionable age 
			 Barry 18 
			 Bognor Regis 30 
			 Bridlington 29 
			 Burnham-on-Sea 31 
			 Clacton 31 
			 Deal 25 
			 Eastbourne 27 
			 Exmouth 26 
			 Falmouth 23 
			 Folkestone/Hythe 23 
			 Great Yarmouth 24 
			 Greater Blackpool 24 
			 Greater Bournemouth 25 
			 Greater Brighton 15 
			 Greater Worthing 25 
			 Hastings/Bexhill 26 
			 Ilfracombe 22 
			 Isle of Wight 26 
			 Llandudno/Colwyn Bay/Conwy 27 
			 Lowestoft 24 
			 Minehead 33 
			 Morecambe and Heysham 22 
			 Newquay 22 
			 Porthcawl 30 
			 Rhyl/Prestatyn 25 
			 Scarborough 24 
			 Sidmouth 44 
			 Skegness 26 
			 Southend-or-Sea 21 
			 Southport 25 
			 St. Ives 28 
			 Swanage 32 
			 Thanet 24 
			 Torbay 26 
			 Weston-super-Mare 23 
			 Weymouth 25 
			 Whitley Bay 22 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay 15 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics

Employment: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many people were employed in Enfield North constituency in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people were unemployed in Enfield North constituency in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated November 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many people were employed in Enfield North constituency in each year since 1997, and how many people were unemployed in Enfield North constituency in each year since 1997. 1 am replying in her absence. (235447, 235451)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1, attached, shows the number of people aged 16+, resident in the Enfield North constituency, who were in (a) employment since 1997 and (b) unemployment since 1997. Estimates are provided for 12 month periods ending in February from 1997 to 2004 from the annual LFS and for 12 month periods ending in March from 2005 to 2008 from the APS.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	These figures along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website: www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of parsons employed and unemployed( 1)  resident in Enfield North 
			  Thousand 
			   Enfield North 
			  12 months ending  Employed  Unemployed 
			 February 1998 42 3 
			 February 1999 42 3 
			 February 2000 44 2 
			 February 2001 44 2 
			 February 2002 48 2 
			 February 2003 55 4 
			 February 2004 50 3 
			 March 2005 48 2 
			 March 2006 43 4 
			 March 2007 57 2 
			 March 2008(2) ***55 ****4 
			 (1) Levels of employment and unemployment are provided for persons aged 18 and over. The figures presented are weighted to population estimates published in 2007. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CVfor example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness * 0  CV 5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5  CV  10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10  CV  20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source:  Annual Population Survey and annual Labour Force Survey

Foreign Workers

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 765-6W, on foreign workers, what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the number of foreign workers in employment in the UK who are living in communal establishments.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 4  N ovember 2008
	 The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number of foreign workers in employment in the UK living in communal establishments. (233180)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles its most timely employment statistics from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions. Statistics for the number of foreign workers in employment living in communal establishments are not available from the LFS.
	An alternative estimate of the number of jobs, known as Workforce Jobs, is available from surveys of businesses. As part of the reconciliation between the two sources, ONS has estimated the total number of workers living in communal establishments as 80,000, based on a pilot survey carried out in 2000. In addition, the number of temporary foreign workers not covered by the LFS has been estimated as 170,000, based on ONS experimental short term migration estimates. An estimate of the number of foreign workers living in communal establishments is not explicitly made.
	ONS is undertaking a programme of work to test the feasibility of a communal establishments' survey. Part of the work programme will establish the content of the survey. One requirement for the survey, if feasible, will be to estimate the number of people in employment living in communal establishments.

Government Communications

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made on appointing a new Permanent Secretary for Government Communication; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: An announcement was made on 12 November 2008 on the appointment of Matt Tee as the new Permanent Secretary for Government Communications.

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many home information packs have been commissioned by his Department or its representatives to market a residential property; for which properties; at what cost; and whether a voluntary home condition report was purchased as part of the packs.

Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office is not marketing any residential properties and has not commissioned any home information packs.

Members: Correspondence

John Howell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he plans to reply to the letter of 2 September 2008 from the hon. Member for Henley on a complaint made against a civil servant by a constituent, Mr Geoff Weir.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 30 October 2008
	On 30 October 2008 the Cabinet Secretary replied to the hon. Member for Henley's letter on behalf of his constituent, Mr. Geoff Weir, dated 2 September 2008.

Minimum Wage: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people received no more than the national minimum wage in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each year since its introduction.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, November 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people received no more than the national minimum wage in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each year since its introduction. I am replying in her absence.
	(235999)
	Estimates for the number of jobs paid at the national minimum wage are not available from the Office for National Statistics. However, estimates for the number of all employee jobs paid below the national wage are available by Government Office Region. This is the lowest geographical breakdown published by ONS.
	I attach a table showing the number of jobs earning less than the national minimum wage for London region for all employees in each year since 1998.
	A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp7vlnk=5837
	
		
			  Number of employee jobs paid below the National Minimum Wage in London Region 
			   Number of jobs (thousand) 
			 1998 60 
			 1999 30 
			 2000 (1) 
			 2001 (1) 
			 2002 (1) 
			 2003 (1) 
			 2004 20 
			 2005 20 
			 2006 21 
			 2007 23 
			 (1) Sample size too small for reliable estimate  Source:  Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Minimum Wage: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people received the national minimum wage in Enfield North constituency in each year since its introduction.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated November 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people received the national minimum wage in Enfield North in each year since its introduction. I am replying in her absence. (235452)
	Estimates for the number of jobs paid at the national minimum wage are not available from the Office for National Statistics. However, estimates for the number of all employee jobs paid below the national wage are available by Government Office Region. This is the lowest geographical breakdown published by ONS.
	I attach a table showing the number of jobs earning less than the national minimum wage for London region for all employees in each year since 1998.
	A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5837
	
		
			  Number of employee jobs paid below the national minimum wage in London region 
			   Number of jobs  (t housand ) 
			 1998 60 
			 1999 30 
			 2000 (1) 
			 2001 (1) 
			 2002 (1) 
			 2003 (1) 
			 2004 20 
			 2005 20 
			 2006 21 
			 2007 23 
			 (1) Sample size too small for reliable estimate.  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Office for National Statistics.

Ministerial Policy Advisors

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 99-102WS, on special advisers, what expenditure the Government incurred in  (a) pension contributions on behalf of and  (b) severance payments to special advisers in 2007-08.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the right hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 99-102WS, which included 993,329 in severance payments to special advisers in line with the contractual provisions set out in the model contract for special advisers. It also included an estimate of 546,000 for pension contributions.

Non-profit Making Associations

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Government contracts have been awarded to social enterprises in each of the last three years, broken down by Department.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not held centrally. Businesses that are awarded contracts by the Government are not currently required to state whether they are social enterprises and no detailed central record of contracts awarded is held.

Productivity

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the productivity levels per worker were in each of the last 17 years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on what the productivity levels per worker in the UK economy was in each of the last 17 years. (234496)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles quarterly productivity statistics for the UK. Output per worker is the ratio of Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices and Labour Force Survey (LFS) total employment.
	Table 1 provides estimates of the index value with 2003 = 100 of Output per Worker for the United Kingdom for the years 1991 to 2007.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Output per worker index value 
			 1991 77 
			 1992 79 
			 1993 82 
			 1994 85 
			 1995 86 
			 1996 87 
			 1997 89 
			 1998 91 
			 1999 93 
			 20G0 96 
			 2001 97 
			 2002 98 
			 2003 100 
			 2004 102 
			 2005 103 
			 2006 105 
			 2007 107

Public Bodies

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what criteria the Office for National Statistics uses to decide whether a publicly funded body may be classified as a private sector organisation.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what criteria the Office for National Statistics uses to decide whether a publicly-funded body may be classified as a private sector organisation (233370).
	ONS produces the United Kingdom's National Accounts. The National Accounts are an internationally comparable accounting framework that describes the activities in a national economy, including the transactions that take place between sectors of that economy. The relevant international manuals are the System of National Accounts 1993 (SNA93) and the European System of Accounts 1995 (ESA95) in particular.
	As part of the process of producing the National Accounts, ONS decides on the classification of institutions and transactions within the economy. This well-established process is set out in Annex A of the National Statistics Protocol on Statistical Integration and Classification available at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/about-statistics/ns-standard/cop/protocols/index.html.
	Paragraphs 19-24 of the protocol annex provide a brief description of the classification criteria used when classifying an institution to the public or private sector. The paragraphs are reproduced below for ease. 'NACC' in paragraph 22 refers to the National Accounts Classification Committee, which is described in detail within the protocol.
	Classification criteria: the basic approach to classification
	19. Each classification decision is taken on its own merits and in line with international statistical guidance. Cases of public interest tend to be one of two types:
	i. whether an entity, an organisation or financing vehicle for example, is in the private or public sector;
	ii. whether government receipts are a charge for a service or a tax
	i. Classification of an entity to the public or private sector
	20. The guidance is extensive but two main stages can be identified when classifying an entity to an institutional sector. The first involves a decision on whether the entity is within the public or private sectors, and the second a decision on whether it is a market or non-market producer.
	21. In summary the difference between the public and private sectors is determined by where control lies, rather than by ownership or whether or not the entity is publicly financed. International guidance defines control as the ability to determine general corporate policy. For example, this control can be exercised through the appointment of directors, control of over half of the shareholders voting power, through special legislation or decree, or through regulation.
	22. As a result NACC will examine an entity to see whether there are any factors that enable any part of the public sector, either individually or collectively, to determine the general corporate policy of the entity. This includes recognition that government, or other sectors, may also control a unit through contractual arrangements. If this control is established the entity is classified to the public sector.
	23. Having decided whether an entity is part of the public or private sectors, the second important aspect for sector classification is to determine whether it is a market or non-market entity. Public sector market entities are classified as public corporations (for example Royal Mail and Manchester Airport Group); public sector non-market entities are classified in the general government sector (for example government departments and the BBC). General government is then sub-divided into sub-sectors, including central government, state government and local government. Private sector market entities are classified as private corporations, and private sector non-market entities are generally classified to a sector known as Non Profit Institutions Serving Households.
	24. The borderline between market and non-market classification is defined in the international guidance by whether more than fifty per cent of the production costs are covered by sales of goods and services.

Deprivation Indicators

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what the lower super output areas are with the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest rankings on the living environment domain for the multiple index of deprivation in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales;
	(2)  what the lower super output areas are with the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest average income level for each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales;
	(3)  what the lower super output areas are with the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest employment levels in each of the principal seaside towns in England and Wales.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The following tables list the codes for the least and most deprived lower super output areas in the principal seaside towns in England, on the overall measure of multiple deprivation and across the seven domains of the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007. Information on deprivation in Welsh towns can be obtained from the Welsh Assembly Government Statistical Directorate.
	
		
			IMD  Income  Employment 
			Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived 
			  Town  LA name  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA 
			 Blackpool Blackpool E01012721 E01012718 E01012721 E01012717 E01012721 E01012717 
			 Bognor Regis Arun E01031456 E01031383 E01031429 E01031412 E01031456 E01031392 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth E01015282 E01015315 E01015282 E01015319 E01015282 E01015319 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire E01012948 E01013093 E01012946 E01013088 E01012944 E01013012 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove E01016947 E01016984 E01016865 E01016984 E01016942 E01016899 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor E01029106 E01029104 E01029106 E01029128 E01029112 E01029128 
			 Clacton Tendring E01021988 E01022005 E01021988 E01022013 E01021988 E01022013 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge E01020272 E01020239 E01020272 E01020242 E01020228 E01020242 
			 Deal Dover E01024240 E01024233 E01024240 E01024233 E01024199 E01024238 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne E01020912 E01020933 E01020923 E01020946 E01020911 E01020933 
			 Exmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019931 E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 
			 Falmouth Carrick E01018841 E01018848 E01018841 E01018816 E01018841 E01018827 
			 Folkestone/Hythe Shepway E01024504 E01024523 E01024507 E01024523 E01024506 E01024519 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth E01026625 E01026587 E01026625 E01026587 E01026625 E01026587 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings E01020972 E01020970 E01020972 E01020970 E01020972 E01020987 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon E01020112 E01020090 E01020103 E01020133 E01020112 E01020133 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight E01017332 E01017352 E01017345 E01017293 E01017336 E01017302 
			 Lowestoft Waveney E01030258 E01030284 E01030258 E01030288 E01030258 E01030292 
			 Minehead, West Somerset E01029344 E01029331 E01029344 E01029342 E01029344 E01029338 
			 Morecambe/Heysham Lancaster E01025110 E01025146 E01025156 E01025105 E01025110 E01025105 
			 Newquay Restormel E01019056 E01019017 E01019056 E01019017 E01019033 E01019016 
			 Penzance Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01018997 E01019011 
			 Scarborough Scarborough E01027806 E01027844 E01027874 E01027855 E01027847 E01027857 
			 Sidmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019931 E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 
			 Skegness East Lindsey E01026093 E01026063 E01026083 E01026063 E01026093 E01026061 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea E01015842 E01015908 E01015842 E01015914 E01015842 E01015830 
			 Southport Sefton E01007007 E01006985 E01007007 E01006991 E01007007 E01006985 
			 St. Ives East Dorset E01020393 E01020377 E01020393 E01020377 E01020394 E01020409 
			 St. Ives Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01018997 E01019011 
			 Swanage Purbeck E01020489 E01020470 E01020472 E01020470 E01020485 E01020470 
			 Thanet Thanet E01024678 E01024708 E01024678 E01024650 E01024678 E01024689 
			 Torbay Torbay E01015217 E01015208 E01015257 E01015208 E01015217 E01015251 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset E01014831 E01014798 E01014831 E01014793 E01014801 E01014791 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland E01020554 E01020558 E01020552 E01020559 E01020554 E01020558 
			 Whitby Scarborough E01027806 E01027844 E01027874 E01027855 E01027847 E01027857 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside E01008485 E01008523 E01008485 E01008563 E01008485 E01008548 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury E01024080 E01024056 E01024061 E01024051 E01024080 E01024051 
			 Worthing Worthing E01031819 E01031824 E01031819 E01031824 E01031811 E01031824 
		
	
	
		
			Health  Disability  Education, Skills  Training  Barriers to Housing  Services 
			Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived 
			  Town  LA name  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA 
			 Blackpool Blackpool E01012721 E01012718 E01012720 E01012722 E01012704 E01012725 
			 Bognor Regis Arun E01031456 E01031389 E01031429 E01031416 E01031392 E01031464 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth E01015282 E01015319 E01015313 E01015344 E01015370 E01015335 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire E01012948 E01013088 E01013002 E01013070 E01012981 E01012999 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove E01016942 E01016983 E01016915 E01017001 E01016899 E01016961 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor E01029132 E01029128 E01029106 E01029147 E01029147 E01029127 
			 Clacton Tendring E01022025 E01021978 E01021988 E01021987 E01021974 E01022035 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge E01020228 E01020194 E01020212 E01020274 E01020259 E01020265 
			 Deal Dover E01024215 E01024233 E01024240 E01024211 E01024249 E01024221 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne E01020920 E01020960 E01020923 E01020946 E01020958 E01020939 
			 Exmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 E01019938 E01019948 
			 Falmouth Carrick E01018841 E01018816 E01018841 E01018816 E01018850 E01018848 
			 Folkestone/Hythe Shepway E01024506 E01024490 E01024498 E01024523 E01024549 E01024512 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth E01026625 E01026587 E01026619 E01026611 E01026609 E01026639 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings E01020989 E01020970 E01020972 E01020970 E01020970 E01021013 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon E01020112 E01020127 E01020103 E01020128 E01020100 E01020105 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight E01017336 E01017351 E01017332 E01017316 E01017297 E01017344 
			 Lowestoft Waveney E01030258 E01030237 E01030277 E01030224 E01030285 E01030288 
			 Minehead, West Somerset E01029344 E01029338 E01029344 E01029335 E01029338 E01029332 
			 Morecambe/Heysham Lancaster E01025110 E01025105 E01025156 E01025103 E01025132 E01025098 
			 Newquay Restormel E01019041 E01019017 E01019055 E01019017 E01019060 E01019072 
			 Penzance Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01019006 E01018993 
			 Scarborough Scarborough E01027806 E01027814 E01027874 E01027855 E01027857 E01027871 
			 Sidmouth East Devon E01019914 E01019964 E01019914 E01019964 E01019938 E01019948 
			 Skegness East Lindsey E01026073 E01026098 E01026083 E01026119 E01026082 E01026054 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea E01015842 E01015908 E01015842 E01015908 E01015827 E01015910 
			 Southport Sefton E01007009 E01006985 E01007019 E01006974 E01007038 E01007102 
			 St. Ives East Dorset E01020393 E01020415 E01020393 E01020380 E01020396 E01020426 
			 St. Ives Penwith E01018997 E01018985 E01018997 E01019011 E01019006 E01018993 
			 Swanage Purbeck E01020485 E01020470 E01020471 E01020470 E01020490 E01020492 
			 Thanet Thanet E01024676 E01024635 E01024682 E01024642 E01024703 E01024655 
			 Torbay Torbay E01015217 E01015208 E01015266 E01015271 E01015190 E01015211 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset E01014832 E01014850 E01014831 E01014766 E01014766 E01014816 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland E01020554 E01020560 E01020552 E01020558 E01020569 E01020588 
			 Whitby Scarborough E01027806 E01027814 E01027874 E01027855 E01027857 E01027871 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside E01008545 E01008546 E01008484 E01008563 E01008480 E01008546 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury E01024092 E01024056 E01024047 E01024131 E01024054 E01024115 
			 Worthing Worthing E01031790 E01031824 E01031819 E01031803 E01031832 E01031797 
		
	
	
		
			Crime  Disorder  Living Environment 
			Most deprived  Least deprived  Most deprived  Least deprived 
			  Town  LA name  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA  LSOA 
			 Blackpool Blackpool E01012736 E01012662 E01012673 E01012722 
			 Bognor Regis Arun E01031454 E01031458 E01031427 E01031383 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth E01015367 E01015315 E01015279 E01015315 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire E01013000 E01013122 E01012948 E01012939 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove E01016952 E01016998 E01016952 E01017008 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor E01029098 E01029103 E01029095 E01029115 
			 Clacton Tendring E01021988 E01022012 E01021988 E01022004 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge E01020269 E01020193 E01020224 E01020215 
			 Deal Dover E01024241 E01024213 E01024215 E01024256 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne E01020912 E01020948 E01020912 E01020926 
			 Exmouth East Devon E01019918 E01019897 E01019916 E01019905 
			 Falmouth Carrick E01018809 E01018827 E01018836 E01018813 
			 Folkestone/Hythe Shepway E01024504 E01024536 E01024504 E01024542 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth E01026626 E01026629 E01026626 E01026582 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings E01020979 E01020971 E01020984 E01020995 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon E01020113 E01020107 E01020112 E01020085 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight E01017336 E01017298 E01017340 E01017352 
			 Lowestoft Waveney E01030258 E01030245 E01030250 E01030239 
			 Minehead, West Somerset E01029330 E01029327 E01029338 E01029331 
			 Morecambe/Heysham Lancaster E01025139 E01025160 E01025117 E01025158 
			 Newquay Restormel E01019029 E01019045 E01019056 E01019018 
			 Penzance Penwith E01018999 E01018975 E01019012 E01018983 
			 Scarborough Scarborough E01027806 E01027834 E01027804 E01027855 
			 Sidmouth East Devon E01019918 E01019897 E01019916 E01019905 
			 Skegness East Lindsey E01026069 E01026098 E01026093 E01026085 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea E01015841 E01015866 E01015852 E01015885 
			 Southport Sefton E01007051 E01007093 E01007003 E01006991 
			 St. Ives East Dorset E01020392 E01020378 E01020396 E01020374 
			 St. Ives Penwith E01018999 E01018975 E01019012 E01018983 
			 Swanage Purbeck E01020472 E01020491 E01020490 E01020470 
			 Thanet Thanet E01024676 E01024644 E01024676 E01024637 
			 Torbay Torbay E01015267 E01015251 E01015231 E01015226 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset E01014801 E01014793 E01014802 E01014793 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland E01020554 E01020559 E01020554 E01020560 
			 Whitby Scarborough E01027806 E01027834 E01027804 E01027855 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside E01008584 E01008518 E01008572 E01008551 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury E01024080 E01024054 E01024080 E01024056 
			 Worthing Worthing E01031787 E01031804 E01031810 E01031820